Olivia Grant

I always delight when I find new-to-me actresses whose looks strike me as particularly Pre-Raphaelite. I just recently finished watching series 1 of the BBC show Lark Rise to Candleford (an excellent series), and the actress Olivia Grant ensorcelled me with her luminous pale skin and enormous pale eyes. If she was truly from the Victorian era, I think she would have been a stunner for certain.




Particularly, she looks like she could have been the model for this artwork, Hope by Burne-Jones (thanks Jen for the ID!)

Closing on our first house continues, packing is fast and furious. Apologies for the quiet around this blog, but there's good reason!

What is a Phlumbudge?

Searching through Christies' records of past lots sold, I came across a listing for a Burne-Jones set of cartoons and drawings. I am a sucker for his caricature work, and I was captivated by the descriptions of what was included in the lot. I especially loved this part:

The album also contains some of the whimsical drawings that Burne-Jones was always making. Connoisseurs will recognise such familiar themes as the amorous love-birds and the 'wallypug', one of a series of amiable mythical beasts (the 'phlumbudge', a fat little bird, was another) with which he entertained his children - children, that is, of all ages, including, as his wife put it, 'the child that was always in himself' (Memorials II, p. 66).

There is no image of a wallypug or a phlumbudge. What do you think they look like?

A Red House Christmas

Merry Christmas, to all who celebrate it. Happy Holidays to everyone! As a Christmas treat, I wanted to share a link to another blog (William Morris Fan Club) that has featured an incredible tour of William Morris' Red House, including many details I had not seen.

Part 1: Pilgrimage to Red House


Part 2: Red House Hallways: Welcome


Part 3: Red House: The Main Rooms


Part 4: Red House Ceilings


My husband and I are working on closing on our own first house together. Please wish us luck as we create our own small piece of the Pre-Raphaelite dream...a Home.

The Muse Inspects Her Portrait

Image Source Unknown, found on Tumblr.

Nenúfar Blanco

I love doing random searches on Etsy and Ebay under Pre-Raphaelite keywords. Sometimes, I come across the most amazing artists that way.

The newest discovery: The artist Rosa, or Nenúfar Blanco, whose one-of-a-kind sculptured dolls just take my breath away. All of her work is captivating, but I was especially entranced by this:


She calls the doll "Daydreaming." It came across my Etsy search as she uses the word "Pre-Raphaelite in the description, and I can definitely see the influence. I love how her hair looks very Jane Morris-like, but her expression is utterly Beata Beatrix. The flushed cheeks, slightly parted lips...it's all utterly P.R.B.-esque romantic, and I absolutely love it.

Click the images below for a much larger look:

Home Alone Double-Take

Is it a sign that you're obsessed with the Brotherhood when you're watching Home Alone for Christmas, and you realize that Old Man Marley looks uncannily like Edward Burne-Jones? Like...to the point where for the rest of the film, you keep thinking of him as "Ned"?

I know I've been remiss on the blog lately. November was frantically filled with writing a 50,000 word novel for National Novel Writing Month. (Of course the Pre-Raphaelites were mentioned...must you ask?) and now it's crunch time for Christmas. But I haven't forgotten you! I hope to post more very soon.

A Brief Blog

According to the Memorials of Edward Burne-Jones, Georgie says his three favorite flowers were roses, lilies, and sunflowers.

Why yes, I do really love Burne-Jones, why do you ask?