In his creative manifesto Concerning the Spiritual in Art, the great Russian artist Wassily Kandinsky writes admiringly about the non-materialism of the Pre-Raphaelites—men who “sought for the ‘inner’ by way of the ‘outer.’”
By hearkening back to the medieval art created before the Renaissance maestro Raphael, the Pre-Raphaelites sought to convey a dimension of truth beyond the rational rules of classicism. Fittingly, these young radical painters have had their work commemorated by the National Gallery for the first survey of Pre-Raphaelite art in this country. Including over 130 classic works, Pre-Raphaelites: Victorian Art and Design marks a truly comprehensive showcase of the artistic movement.
Perhaps the most pious of the Pre-Raphaelites was artist William Holman Hunt, whose work is displayed in the exhibit’s first gallery. Unlike his fellow two founders, John Everett Millais and Dante Gabriel Rossetti, he rarely strayed from his religious roots. In “The Awakening Conscience,” Hunt depicts a young mistress standing up from her wealthy suitor’s lap, and—transfixed by the landscape out the window—resolving to lead a pure life.
Following the view of John Ruskin, nature reflected the divine in a world of frigid, sterile industrialism—the outdoors are the source of light in the painting amidst the bedlam of the Victorian interior Hunt so painstakingly renders.
In contrast, the later works of the brotherhood show a move away from truth toward beauty. The exhibit’s rose walls flank decorative paintings by Rossetti, marking the impact of the Aesthetic movement. From the mantra “art for art’s sake” sprang an assortment of paintings featuring femme fatales and fallen beauties
However, the exhibit’s obvious gem is Millais’s “Ophelia,” a truly iconic and haunting portrayal of the Hamlet suicide—confounding audiences with its intense beauty, it’s an unmissable work.
Finally, the last two rooms of the exhibit feature the works of William Morris, Edward Burne-Jones, and Rossetti. Together, these men paved the road for the emerging Arts and Crafts movement, which Morris led as an innovator of decorative designs.
If not to see the dream of “Ophelia,” go to this remarkable exhibit to experience Kandinsky’s ideal response. Being exposed to the vivid colors and unconventional techniques of Pre-Raphaelite art might remind you that even in our cold, mechanical society nature still holds the power of transcendence and true beauty.
