Pre Raphaelite Art Appreciation

 Any fans of Pre-Raphaelite art out there? I really love this old art of the Victorian and early Edwardian era, The colours and subject matter are so romantic and speak to my soul. I have pictures hanging up in my home office and Tarot bags on the theme too. Modern art doesn't speak to me the same way as this art. I visualise an artist studio with plenty sunlight streaming through the windows and a leafy green garden with lush green trees near the window for inspiration. Leadlight glass panes on the windows and a leadlight lamp in the room somewhere. To me these things go together with the era, and I love leadlight windows and lighting.  

I would prefer botanical art in modern paintings or something nature based. But this Pre-Raphaelite art has such a strong pull for me. I do feel a strong pull towards the mythical and whimsical elements of the art of this genre as it moved into the early 20th century. This style of painting is evocative in its beauty, elegance and the mystical  all wrapped in one package. 

 Midsummer's Eve by Robert Hughes and John William Waterhouse's famous Lady of Shallot painting,  are sitting above my computer as I type this. So feminine and a sense of a magical time in art where romance meets esoteric mysticism in a big way. Modern art cannot possibly evoke the same wonder in me like the Pre Raphaelite art does, no disrespect intended here, it’s just my personal preference in art. 

           

                                                                     Midsummer's Eve by Robert Hughes

                                                            The Lady of Shalott by John William Waterhouse

                                               The Accolade by Edmund Blair Leighton 

Ophelia by J W Waterhouse

The vibrant colours of the John Everett Millais version of Ophelia  

The Ophelia paintings come in various versions by different artists.

All of the Pre-Raphaelite paintings are  beautiful, deeply evocative and esoteric, though loved by many for their sheer beauty alone. To me it is a visual mystical poetry of times gone by, by both the artists and the era. The times they depict and  how they make me feel from a modern times standpoint is hard to put in words. These artists were most definitely very privileged individuals not just in talent but from backgrounds that could afford to provide the artists with the means to create these wonders. 

 

The esoteric wisdom that each artist possesses is not unlike those on a metaphysical path that are immersed in the symbolism of the Tarot. But the sheer beauty that an artist creates on canvas is unsurpassed for beauty, wisdom and human experience that most of humanity never gets a chance to experience on a deep personal level. However, they can get a brief glimpse into this amazing transcendental world  by studying the beautiful artworks in a gallery, a book, poster or just on good old Google. 

The more one looks at the images the deeper they speak to the subconscious mind in subtle ways which I feel are beneficial to humans on a spiritual level, not just beautiful art for the sake of it. 

I hope these pictures may spark an interest in someone that is seeing them for the first time. 

There are hundreds of images on Google images if you just type in " Pre Raphaelite art". From there click on the images and read about the individual artists. I do hope that there is someone with a curiosity for this beautiful art that becomes passionate about this genre and benefits from this simple little post. 

Warm and fuzzy hugs,

Alex

 

Fairy Art

 I have been a big lover of fairy art since I don't know when, but it's mostly the old stuff, late Victorian and early 20th century artworks. A hallmark of the era when romanticism was popular. I have numerous picture frames dotted around the house with beautiful images of classical fairies, like the lily fairy adding to the romantic tone of the rooms. To me it harmonises with house plants and bringing the outdoors, indoors.

It adds a gentle atmosphere to a bedroom, study or your favourite place to sit in the living room. Placed by a soft lamp light or hung on a wall. Just a little statement to add to the mood of the room where your favourite things are on display. Classic pictures or prints, not garish like pop art, but beauty and grace mixed with elegance that makes the room pleasant and speaks to the heart. 

                                                 Spirit of the night fairy by John Atkinson Grimshaw 

 This is one of my absolute favourites , The Lily Fairy by Luis Ricardo Falero  

                                                The flower series by Cicely Mary Barker 

                                                May Gibbs series of the Gum Nut Babies 

Artist, Cicely Mary Barker, of the Flower Fairies fame, Beatrix Potter, and the Australian artist May Gibbs, famous for her Gum Nut Babies are absolute favourites of mine for whimsical illustrations of bygone times and still very much loved for their beautiful work. Nothing in modern times can capture the essence of these beautiful artworks for me. There is an incredible energy of the times about these beautiful creations, gentleness and beauty, yet something else that I can’t quite put my finger on. 

It’s something alluring, beautiful and mystical that I feel. An aspect of nature which is hard to define if you know what I mean. People find strong nostalgic memories that evoke childhood memories and innocence in these illustrations and artworks. Like as a small child sleeping over at their grandparents house and feeling safe and warm, tucked up in bed dreamy and happy knowing they are loved. 

The excitement of waking up early on a summer morning and playing in the garden imagining fairies among the flowers as you catch bees with a jar. Butterflies hovering over your head and the sweet smell of the grass as the sun dries the early morning dew. The stillness of the morning air as you play in the sunshine, these are the simple things that these artists evoke 

Childlike innocence and joy of each season, a never ending childhood that we never want to lose. Perhaps it’s all just a fantasy or a much hoped for dream that we want to be a reality which we never let go of. What is it, in humans that we crave for? This  world of fairies and wonder that we never find in our lives.  Where does it come from and why? 

Collectively we must be missing something so special yet we can’t seem to remember and keep trying hard to recreate. It could be a single moment, a snapshot in time of a moment that we never wanted to end. And somehow we manifest a fantasy unobtainable, in our imagination, yet somehow artists create something that gently reminds us of a  memory so precious that we can’t maintain. These artworks give us simple pleasures and appreciation but we still struggle to recall what the distant memories are. Live in the moment and enjoy the experience you are the creator of the magic that you created inside you.

 The artist’s job has been done, to facilitate your creativity and to live in its essence or energy which sustains and supports you to live in the moment and express your own love, that’s my take on it and I think it will suffice until I have an epiphany that transcends this belief.