Thursday, June 21, 2007

Pre-Raphaelites at the San Diego Museum of Art



On Tuesday, the four kids and I toured the Pre-Raphaelite exhibit from the Delaware Museum showing at the San Diego Museum of Art. This is a collection not to miss! Our favorite artists were by Dante Gabriel Rossetti (also a favorite poet of mine), Ford Maddox Brown, and Marie Spartali Stillman. J and T took in their sketchbooks and drew some cool arts and crafts era glassware, among other subjects. E and I admired the beautiful artwork, so romantic and so linked to Scripture and literature. We saw paintings that represented such literature as Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, Shakespeare's plays (including Romeo and Juliet), and Mary Magdalene, as well as other Scriptural representations.

The Pre-Raphaelites believed that art since Raphael had been corrupted somehow, hence their name. They were English artists of the late 1800s who drew from more classical models and also took inspiration from the English Romantic poets Byron, Shelley, and Keats. Most of the representations are of red-haired women (gotta love that!), with a true sense of both realism and romanticism that I admire.

I have to say that the Pre-Raphaelites are really my favorite period of art -- such fraternity, such elevation of women, such a wonderful balance of story and technique. Aaah ...we had such a lovely time at the museum this week. And such a wonderful way to start our summer break in beautiful San Diego County.

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