Intense colours and minutely detailed surfaces signalled the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood’s rebellion against established artistic practice. PRB subjects including John Everett Millais’ The Blind Girl and Ford Madox Brown’s Take Your Son, Sir critiqued contemporary society, while paintings with medieval settings imagined a pre-industrial idyll. Eleanor Fortiscue Brickdale, among others, reprised this approach into the twentieth century. In contrast, aestheticism and European symbolism brought new beauty to Dante Gabriel Rossetti’s The Daydream (1880) and to Edward Burne-Jones’ The Last Sleep of Arthur in Avalon (1898). Course topics include the PRB’s origins, John Ruskin’s influence, the Victorian art market and late Pre-Raphaelitism. Looking is central to the course and we focus closely on famous and lesser-known work by these fascinating British artists.
Course aim
This course introduces the range of fascinating and often beautiful Pre-Raphaelite painting, from John Everett Millais’ The Blind Girl , 1856, to Edward Burne-Jones’ The Last Sleep of Arthur in Avalon of 1898.
Do I need any particular skills or experience?
- You will need your own personal email address so that you’re able to login to the WEA’s digital learning platform: WEA Canvas. You will need to be able to understand how to follow URL links to pages on the internet. If you want to understand more about Canvas please visit: http://bit.ly/WEAonline
- You will need to be able to follow links to join our WEA live video learning platform: WEA Zoom. If you’d like to understand more about our video learning platform, Zoom please visit: http://bit.ly/WEAonline and http://bit.ly/ZoomSpec
By the end of the course I should be able to:
- Recognise some paintings by Pre-Raphaelite artists.
- Describe how and why Pre-Raphaelite artists developed distinctive subjects and styles, within the limits of a four week course.
- Assess the significance of cultural and social circumstances on Pre-Raphaelite artists and their work, at an introductory level.
- Enjoy and talk about Pre-Raphaelite art.
How will I be taught?
- The WEA tutor will use a range of different teaching and learning methods and encourage you and the group to be actively involved in your learning
What kind of feedback can I expect?
- A range of informal activities will be used by the tutor to see what you are learning which may include quizzes, question and answer, small projects and discussion
What else do I need to know?
- What you need: You will need an internet connection, speakers, a microphone and a webcam so that you can use our video learning platform, Zoom. If you’d like to understand more Zoom please visit: http://bit.ly/ZoomSpec
- You will need a personal email address to join the WEA’s digital learning platform, Canvas so that you can receive resources, record your progress and achievement and to work with others and share ideas. If you want to understand more about our digital learning platform please visit: http://bit.ly/WEAonline
Pre-course work, reading and information sources
- No pre reading or pre course work is required
What can I do next?
- Progress to another WEA course
- Progress to a course with another provider
- Become involved with the WEA in a range of voluntary work and other activities including campaigning as a WEA member
- Become involved as a volunteer for a WEA partner or another organisation
- You could progress to Higher Education courses. Follow link to the PEARL website for information http://pearl.open.ac.uk/
Download full course information sheet
