A New Game

I thought it might be fun to occasionally play a game on this blog called "who can identify the familiar inspiration artwork for this?"

Today we got in the book Chalice by Robin McKinley at the library. I thought the cover art was very Pre-Raphaelite-looking, but it wasn't until I was looking at the art again a few hours later that I noticed what the inspiration artwork was.

Can you name it? Let's see who can guess right first.

Boston is for Lovers (of the Pre-Raphaelites)

One more wedding related post, and then it's back to business as usual, I promise :)

Tom and I honeymooned to coastal Massachusetts. Specifically, we stayed in a castle B&B in Marblehead. The castle was built in the early 20th century as a reproduction of Erik the Red's castle. It overlooked a beautiful park and Marblehead harbor, and honestly, I can't imagine a more Pre-Raphaelite, romantic spot in the entire U.S.

The original plan was to spend a day or two around Salem, and also to go into Boston to visit the Fogg Museum, where there are several Burne-Jones artworks, and also perhaps the MFA in Boston as well as the Isabella Stuart Gardner Museum. Sadly, none of that worked out. I was devastated to discover that the artwork I most wanted to see at the Fogg, Burne-Jones Depths of the Sea (my favorite artwork by him) is currently out of the public eye while the Fogg is under renovation work. I was so upset when I heard this, I had to express it in picture form:

One Pre-Raphaelite related event going on that I wish I had been able to catch while we were in Boston, however, was the Imperishable Beauty exhibit at the MFA. The exhibit features Art Nouveau jewelry, but apparently also features Rossetti's Bocca Baciata. So if you happen to be in the Boston area, you might want to check it out!

We're back!

Well, we're back from our romantic wedding and New England honeymoon. Perhaps you'll indulge me to share a pose I chose on the wedding day based on a painting you all might know.

Love Among the Ruins, by Edward Burne-Jones:
Our wedding picture, taken in the "Secret Garden" at Inniswood:

It was a beautiful day, in a locale very reminiscent of Pre-Raphaelite artworks. I had to take advantage of it in several pictures. If you want to see more, our Flickr album is here.

We interrupt our honeymoon to report....

Ok, so technically we don't leave for our honeymoon till Monday, but we're married, so it counts ;)

But I just had to pop by and mention something that I at least find exciting. Loreena McKennitt has a new album of Christmas music coming out this month, and the last track on the album is In the Bleak Midwinter!

Unfortunately though, it appears it's an instrumental. Dang you, Loreena!!!

But still, I thought it was neat.

Another Aesthetic Gowns Post

Yes, it's another post about Artistic/Aesthetic Gowns. Can you tell I love these things?

First, I have to share a resource brought to my attention by Siddal, I believe. There is an Aesthetic gown pattern out there for those of you who sew!
I may have to try this out someday. The price is a bit painful, but it's definitely a beautiful pattern.

Second, I'd like to share an absolutely gorgeous Aesthetic / Artistic Reform gown, made by jehanni, and worn for the masquerade dance at SalonCon.

In her words, "I modified the undergown from the La Mode Bagatelle Artistic Tea Gown--their illustrations are divine, and their patterns very inspiring.

I made fit changes for my bustline, and style changes for the sleeves, back lacing and modesty panel; finally I incorporated an under-bust drawstring to add support, and lacing loops in the side seams to attempt to control the velvet cording (on larger figures, I find even with lacing loops, the cording needs to be adjusted before poses!).

The overgown is only shaped by Lattice Smocking (or North American Smocking), so it's after the idea of the pattern, but not drafted from it. I added waist tabs to hold the overgown open on the sides."

Photo courtesy of padawansguide

Finally, the previously-featured Sarachmet, the talented-to-the-extreme photographer/artist on DeviantArt, has apparently recently made a few forays into the world of Aesthetic / Artistic gown-making as well!

Her gorgeous gowns can be found here. I did not want to steal her images, but I highly recommend you go take a look.

Finally, I'll be taking a short hiatus from this blog. But for a very good reason...in less than a week (Friday October 3rd) I'll be getting married! And then I'll be departing for our honeymoon. I expect to be back to posting sometime around October 13th.

I may just get a few posts out of the experience afterward though. We'll see. :)

The Lady of Shalott and Pre-Raphaelite Women

The book I just finished reading, Pre-Raphaelite Art in the Victoria & Albert Museum, had an interesting quote. I'd love to know what everyone thinks of it.


All three artists, Burne-Jones, Rossetti and Sandys, were more interested in depicting their ideal of feminine beauty than exploring the characters of real women. By the mid-1860s, they had established a 'type', and sought models who would conform to this image. They may not have been reproducing the conventional prettiness of the Victorian Miss, nor the placid features of Raphael's Virgins, which the early PRB tried so hard to avoid, yet Rossetti's voluptuous allegories, and Burne-Jones' sensitive waifs, were figments of their imagination rather than studies from nature. The aspirations of the women who modeled for these paintings, or who created works of art in their own right, were often obscured by the image constructed by the male artist. The fate of the women of the Pre-Raphaelite circle can sometimes resemble that of the Lady of Shalott. In her own sphere she is a singer and a weaver, but when she becomes subject to the male gaze, her skills are overlooked. In Lancelot's eyes, she is significant only because 'She has a lovely face.'
-pg 133

I thought the parallel between the Pre-Raphaelite women and the Lady of Shalott was incredibly inspired.

Daniel Deronda

Stephanie, here's another one for your Pre-Raphaelite-sightings-in-movies project.

Tonight as I was enjoying the BBC miniseries, Daniel Deronda, I was delighted and enchanted to see that one of the characters, an artist smitten with a beautiful female houseguest, painted pictures of her in Rossetti's style. Thanks to Siddal for pointing out that this first painting was made to look like La Pia de Tolommei

Click the below images to see a much larger version...I love the colors in this painting...really lovely, especially for a prop from a made-for-tv programme.

This sketch behind him is clearly directly inspired by Rossetti's portrait of Janey, The Daydream:

The artist in his studio:If you click on the below picture to enlarge, you can see a small image over the artist's left shoulder that appears to be a Godward or an Alma-Tadema. Anyone care to identify the artwork? The Neo-classical artists aren't my forte.
Thanks to an anonymous comment for identifying this background painting. It is Blossoms by Albert Moore.