Pre–Raphaelite Brotherhood
Painting
mid 1800sDante Gabriel Rossetti, John Everett Millais, William Holman Hunt, John William Waterhouse, William Morris, Frederick Leighton ... Photographers influenced by the Pre–Raphaelists are:
Cameron Julia Margaret
In 1848 in England, a group of young painters got together and decided that they had their own idea of what a painting should be. In rebellion to The Royal Academy, they formed this secret society called The Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood (PRB).
The PRB believed that the only true great art came from Italian painter, Raphael. Raphael represented high renaissance, a time when painters, instead of letting their subjects dictate their qualities to the artist, would manipulate the subject into their own ideal of beauty.
PRB as an official society only lasted a few years.
Certainly some photographers were influenced by Pre–Raphaelists. And not only in the terms of composition but by color palette as well.
“Two sisters” by artist Dante Gabriel Rossetti
... and “Two sisters” by photographer Cunningham
“Proserpine” by artist Dante Gabriel Rossetti
... and “Echo” by photographer Cameron
Composition
Instead of painting the typical still-lifes, landscapes and seascapes, they drew their subject matters from medieval tales, bible stories, classical mythology, and nature.
The artists painted with great detail and professed to paint realistically. However, although they didn't idealize, they often omitted distortions. This causes their work to have an almost surreal effect.
"Psyche" by Frederick Leighton
Julia Margaret Cameron, an English photographer, was much influenced by Pre’Raphaelites.
Colors
They usually used bright colors on a white background and were able to achieve great depth and brilliance.
"An Al-Fresco Toilet " by Samuel Luke Fildes
