The Pre-Raphaelites

Rating:
Summary: a book of its day
Review: Quite what the one-issue fixated rant below has to do with this book I don't know. Why Mr. Johnson thinks Hilton and Barringer - writing books about ART - should discuss in any detail the work of Christina Rossetti, a poet who never drew or painted, I don't know. The fact is that the most important Pre-Raphaelite painters were men, not surprising given the social attitudes and expectations of the time, but a fact nonetheless. Siddal made some interesting, if awkward, small-scale works, other female artists were involved at a late stage in the movement. If anything, this absurdly described 'masculine hegemony' was far more accommodating to women than others of its day.

To discuss this book in more meaningful terms, we have to look at the date it was published, the attitudes about art then prevailing and Hilton's perception of the PRB in the light of this. In post-60s mode, Hilton presents the PRB in terms of the values of the day - just as 'Ophelia' and other works were being rediscovered through the psychedelic lens of the 'St Pepper' cover. For Hilton, both the bohemianism and the moralism of the PRB was a partial 'failure'. The Victorian moralism of Hunt blocked pleasure in painting, rendering some works absurd - while Brown's 'Work' is constrained and congested. This account fails to grasp the deliberate attempts by both artists to visualise tensions, disjunctions and grotesque features of modern experience. Hilton is better on the more sensuous art of Millais and Rossetti, more in tune with the culture of the late 60s. His insights into the intimacies of Rossetti's drawings of Siddal far surpass the crassness of more recent writings.

In all a book that is dated in some respect, factually wrong in others - but still often shines bright and new where it counts.

Rating:
Summary: Hilton, Barringer, and the Pre-Raphaelite Women
Review: The Pre-Raphaelite men, like most masculine hegemonies, could not have survived had it not been for the credible contributions of the women who lurk at the periphery of the Brotherhood. More than mere emotional or sensual inspiration (or support), the Pre-Raphaelite women--Christina Rossetti, Elizabeth Siddal, and Jane Morris--provided the creative impetus for their men, and often even the critical eye needed to master a work of art. History and its historians have not been as generous as they could have been in recounting the contributions of these women.

Often, the summation of any one woman's contributions to the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood is left up to individual biographers. Those writing the introductory texts frequently fall short of effectively identifying the enormous contributions of the Pre-Raphaelite women. Two such introductory texts are Timothy Hilton's _The Pre-Raphaelites_ and Tim Barringer's _Reading the Pre-Raphaelites_. Where the Pre-Raphaelite women are concerned, both texts provide a footnote to the art history of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood but really do little more than re-emphasizing the marginal status of the Pre-Raphaelite women.

In his Introduction, Barringer recognizes the artistic aptitude of Christina Rossetti as a poet, of Elizabeth Siddal as an artist, and of Jane Morris as an embroiderer. Furthermore, Barringer claims that the "full contribution of these artists, and a number of women less directly connected with Pre-Raphaelitism, has only recently been acknowledged" (14). With this affirmation, _Reading the Pre-Raphaelites_ promises to bring to the fore a considerable new interest in the works of the Pre-Raphaelite women. Barringer, however, does little to revise and reappraise the contributions of these women.

Where Christina Rossetti is concerned, Barringer mentions her only four times in his text: twice in the introduction (11, 14); once in relation to the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, wherein he reprints her sonnet on the disintegration of the Brotherhood (135); and once in the epilogue (168). Jane Morris fares somewhat better with six mentions, including the inclusion of her painting _St Catherine_ (50). Mostly, however, Jane Morris rates mere mention as an appendage to either Dante Gabriel Rossetti or William Morris (136, 155, 156).

It is Elizabeth Siddal, however, who garners the most attention from Barringer, with a total of ten mentions. Barringer offers decent treatment to Siddal's _Pippa Passing the Loose Women_ (144-45) as well as to Dante Gabriel Rossetti's use of Siddal as a model (141-42). Barringer is even so generous as to include Dante Gabriel Rossetti's _The Artist sitting to Elizabeth Siddall_ [sic.] (141).

Timothy Hilton's _The Pre-Raphaelites_ purports to be an art book which "offers some adjustments to the straight art history" of the Pre-Raphaelite movement. Additionally, Hilton's text supposedly offers a reinterpretation of the activities of several members in Dante Gabriel Rossetti's circle (7). _The Pre-Raphaelites_ precedes _Reading the Pre-Raphaelites_ by twenty-seven years and was written during the height of the Women's Movement (in the U.S.). That considered, it should come as no surprise that Hilton dwells slightly on the subjects of Jane Morris and Elizabeth Siddal. What does come as a bit of a surprise is that Hilton glosses over Christina Rossetti, treating her almost parenthetically. She rates a total of four references in Hilton's text (only three of which are indexed).

Hilton first refers to Christina Rossetti simply as one in a series of Rossetti children (26) and then again as one of the "various others" who joined the Brotherhood in their print undertaking _The Germ_ (50). She receives credit for sitting for the Virgin in her brother's The Girlhood of _Mary Virgin_ (94) and for being the recipient of one of her brother's letters (107).

Again, Jane Morris receives a slightly greater amount of recognition, although Hilton's references to her total only four. Hilton first mentions Morris as one of the objects of Dante Gabriel Rossetti's "many delineations," a credit which she shares with "Lizzy" Siddal (59). Hilton then dwells on Jane Morris for four pages, wherein he describes William Morris' profound love for her and displays several images of the beautiful Mrs. Morris, including William Morris' _Queen Guinivere_ (166-69). Jane Morris rates still another small note when Hilton inventories Dante Gabriel Rossetti's menagerie at Cheyne Walk, saying that Rossetti had "a Brahmin bull whose eyes reminded [him] of Jane Morris" (182). Finally, the author takes a moment to detail the love affair between Dante Gabriel Rossetti and Jane Morris (183-84).

Elizabeth Siddal, "Lizzy" as Hilton calls her, yet again rates the most references (seven), and not without cause. In addition to her credit as one of Rossetti's models (59, 175), she also receives note (this time parenthetically) as one who attempted to illustrate Wordsworth's "We are Seven" (60). With a series of illustrations and text, Hilton then describes the love affair between Siddal and Dante Rossetti (99-101) and then reiterates the strong affair by stating "Rossetti was busy with Lizzy Siddal" (107). Hilton sums up his mention of Siddal by detailing, if rather briefly, the weakening of the her marriage to Dante Rossetti, her eventual "accidental death," and Rossetti's subsequent depression (178-79).

While Hilton's text may offer slightly more insight into the lives of the Pre-Raphaelite women, neither his nor Barringer's text does justice to the lives of these three women. Yes, Elizabeth Siddal was perhaps the most intricately involved in the goings-on of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, but Jane Morris' and Christina Rossetti's contributions should not receive the degree of dismissal that they do. Barringer's and Hilton's attempts at revisionist art histories fail and once again place the brunt of their focus on the men of the Brotherhood. Both authors allow the Pre-Raphaelite women to remain in the margins of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood history, and, in doing so, do a disservice to all women artists, no matter in whose shadow they may have stood in during life.

Rating:
Summary: Hilton, Barringer, and the Pre-Raphaelite Women
Review: The Pre-Raphaelite men, like most masculine hegemonies, could not have survived had it not been for the credible contributions of the women who lurk at the periphery of the Brotherhood. More than mere emotional or sensual inspiration (or support), the Pre-Raphaelite women--Christina Rossetti, Elizabeth Siddal, and Jane Morris--provided the creative impetus for their men, and often even the critical eye needed to master a work of art. History and its historians have not been as generous as they could have been in recounting the contributions of these women.

Often, the summation of any one woman's contributions to the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood is left up to individual biographers. Those writing the introductory texts frequently fall short of effectively identifying the enormous contributions of the Pre-Raphaelite women. Two such introductory texts are Timothy Hilton's _The Pre-Raphaelites_ and Tim Barringer's _Reading the Pre-Raphaelites_. Where the Pre-Raphaelite women are concerned, both texts provide a footnote to the art history of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood but really do little more than re-emphasizing the marginal status of the Pre-Raphaelite women.

In his Introduction, Barringer recognizes the artistic aptitude of Christina Rossetti as a poet, of Elizabeth Siddal as an artist, and of Jane Morris as an embroiderer. Furthermore, Barringer claims that the "full contribution of these artists, and a number of women less directly connected with Pre-Raphaelitism, has only recently been acknowledged" (14). With this affirmation, _Reading the Pre-Raphaelites_ promises to bring to the fore a considerable new interest in the works of the Pre-Raphaelite women. Barringer, however, does little to revise and reappraise the contributions of these women.

Where Christina Rossetti is concerned, Barringer mentions her only four times in his text: twice in the introduction (11, 14); once in relation to the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, wherein he reprints her sonnet on the disintegration of the Brotherhood (135); and once in the epilogue (168). Jane Morris fares somewhat better with six mentions, including the inclusion of her painting _St Catherine_ (50). Mostly, however, Jane Morris rates mere mention as an appendage to either Dante Gabriel Rossetti or William Morris (136, 155, 156).

It is Elizabeth Siddal, however, who garners the most attention from Barringer, with a total of ten mentions. Barringer offers decent treatment to Siddal's _Pippa Passing the Loose Women_ (144-45) as well as to Dante Gabriel Rossetti's use of Siddal as a model (141-42). Barringer is even so generous as to include Dante Gabriel Rossetti's _The Artist sitting to Elizabeth Siddall_ [sic.] (141).

Timothy Hilton's _The Pre-Raphaelites_ purports to be an art book which "offers some adjustments to the straight art history" of the Pre-Raphaelite movement. Additionally, Hilton's text supposedly offers a reinterpretation of the activities of several members in Dante Gabriel Rossetti's circle (7). _The Pre-Raphaelites_ precedes _Reading the Pre-Raphaelites_ by twenty-seven years and was written during the height of the Women's Movement (in the U.S.). That considered, it should come as no surprise that Hilton dwells slightly on the subjects of Jane Morris and Elizabeth Siddal. What does come as a bit of a surprise is that Hilton glosses over Christina Rossetti, treating her almost parenthetically. She rates a total of four references in Hilton's text (only three of which are indexed).

Hilton first refers to Christina Rossetti simply as one in a series of Rossetti children (26) and then again as one of the "various others" who joined the Brotherhood in their print undertaking _The Germ_ (50). She receives credit for sitting for the Virgin in her brother's The Girlhood of _Mary Virgin_ (94) and for being the recipient of one of her brother's letters (107).

Again, Jane Morris receives a slightly greater amount of recognition, although Hilton's references to her total only four. Hilton first mentions Morris as one of the objects of Dante Gabriel Rossetti's "many delineations," a credit which she shares with "Lizzy" Siddal (59). Hilton then dwells on Jane Morris for four pages, wherein he describes William Morris' profound love for her and displays several images of the beautiful Mrs. Morris, including William Morris' _Queen Guinivere_ (166-69). Jane Morris rates still another small note when Hilton inventories Dante Gabriel Rossetti's menagerie at Cheyne Walk, saying that Rossetti had "a Brahmin bull whose eyes reminded [him] of Jane Morris" (182). Finally, the author takes a moment to detail the love affair between Dante Gabriel Rossetti and Jane Morris (183-84).

Elizabeth Siddal, "Lizzy" as Hilton calls her, yet again rates the most references (seven), and not without cause. In addition to her credit as one of Rossetti's models (59, 175), she also receives note (this time parenthetically) as one who attempted to illustrate Wordsworth's "We are Seven" (60). With a series of illustrations and text, Hilton then describes the love affair between Siddal and Dante Rossetti (99-101) and then reiterates the strong affair by stating "Rossetti was busy with Lizzy Siddal" (107). Hilton sums up his mention of Siddal by detailing, if rather briefly, the weakening of the her marriage to Dante Rossetti, her eventual "accidental death," and Rossetti's subsequent depression (178-79).

While Hilton's text may offer slightly more insight into the lives of the Pre-Raphaelite women, neither his nor Barringer's text does justice to the lives of these three women. Yes, Elizabeth Siddal was perhaps the most intricately involved in the goings-on of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, but Jane Morris' and Christina Rossetti's contributions should not receive the degree of dismissal that they do. Barringer's and Hilton's attempts at revisionist art histories fail and once again place the brunt of their focus on the men of the Brotherhood. Both authors allow the Pre-Raphaelite women to remain in the margins of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood history, and, in doing so, do a disservice to all women artists, no matter in whose shadow they may have stood in during life.