The Private Lives of the Pre-Raphaelites
Desperate Romantics is a costume drama written by Peter Bowker.
Desperate Romantics charts the beginning of the Pre- Raphaelite brotherhood and follows artists Dante Gabriel Rosetti, John Millais and William Holman Hunt as they start the new art movement, try to secure benefactors, find a new muse and fall in and out of love.
I'm really enjoying watching beautiful paintings like John Millais's Ophelia (and opposite, The Order of Release) being brought to life and put into context.
"In the mid-nineteenth century, a group of young men challenged the art establishment of the day. The "Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood were inspired by the real world about them, yet took imaginative licence in their art. This story, based on their lives and loves, follows in that inventive spirit."
Desperate Romantics Titles
Desperate Romantics Book
By Franny Moyle
Desperate Romantics: The Private Lives of the Pre-Raphaelites
Amazon Price: (as of 12/07/2009)
This is the original book that inspired the series. On the front cvover you can see actor Aidan Turner (playing Dante Gabriel Rossetti) and actress Amy Manson (who plays Lizzie Siddal).
"An artist is nothing without a muse... first they would have to find her."
Elizabeth Siddal
The muse and model.
The first episode of Desperate Romantics involves the brotherhood searching for the perfect model for their paintings.
Fred Walters (a made-up character for the series) discovers hat shop girl, Elizabeth Siddal, and the brotherhood attempt to persuade Lizzie and her parents to let her become their model.
Opposite and Below: Rossetti's drawings of Lizzie Siddal.
- Elizabeth Siddal
- Find out more about Elizabeth Siddal from Wikipedia.
Lizzie Siddal: The Tragedy of a Pre-Raphaelite Supermodel
By Lucinda Hawksley.
Lizzie Siddal: The Tragedy of a Pre-Raphaelite Supermodel
Amazon Price: (as of 12/07/2009)
Find out more about the Pre-Raphaelites' muse.
Fred Walters
Imagined man.
Frederic George Stephens
William Michael Rossetti
Walter Deverell
In the first episode he finds Lizzie for the brotherhood to paint. It was Deverell who originally discovered her.
Fred Walters acts as a great way of helping us, the audience, understand the story because he's following the brotherhood along from the outside and learning information for us, the viewer.
Victorian Punks
Writer, Peter Bowker, describes Rosetti, Millais and Hunt as Victorian punks.
Holman Hunt is the angry one.
Millais is the talented one.
Rossetti is the charismatic leader.
"...a man whose full potential was often on the losing side."
Dante Gabriel Rossetti
Charismatic leader.
"We are a brotherhood, Mr Stone. We will never dessert each other." ~Rossetti.
Half-Italian and half-mad. Dante Gabriel Rossetti is the brother of poet, Christina Rossetti. He's portrayed as an arrogant, passionate, workshy man in Desperate Romantics.
- Dante Gabriel Rossetti
- Find out more about Dante Gabriel Rossetti from Wikipedia.
Beata Beatrix
Dante Gabriel Rossetti
This painting appears in Desperate Romantics in drawing form. It was actually painted after Lizzie's death, as a memorial to her.
Tate British Artists: Dante Gabriel Rossetti
By Lisa Tickner.
Tate British Artists: Dante Gabriel Rossetti
Amazon Price: $12.87 (as of 12/07/2009)
Find out more about Rossetti.
"John Millais: An artist whose modesty was the equal of his genius."
John Everett Millais
Child Genius.
Millais was the youngest person ever to be admitted to the Royal Academy. In Desperate Romantics he's portrayed as a very young, sensitive and naive boy of, I believe, nineteen.
He won all the awards at the Academy and was a "child genius". Millais was always successful.
He falls in love with Effie Ruskin, his patron's wife.
- John Millais
- Find out more about John Millais on Wikipedia.
Christ in the House of His Parents
Millais
"Disgusting pictorial blasphemy."
In Episode 1 we see Charles Dickens mocking this painting for the knobbly knees and for making Christ a redhead and Ruskin subsequently champoioning it. In reality, this battle of words took place in a series of letters but obviously that wouldn't look very dynamic on the screen!
Ophelia
John Everett Millais.
Episode 2 is the "Ophelia" episode.
In order to model for this painting Lizzie Siddal had to lie in a bath of water for hours at a time whilst Millais painted her. Millais became so absorbed in this painting (at one point we see him daydreaming about Effie Ruskin steeping out of the bath) that he forgot to check on Lizzie.
Lizzie was reluctant to complain when the water turned cold, presumably because she wanted to be a good model, and lost consciousness and nearly drowned.
This is the painting that killed Elizabeth Siddal, not immediately, but it led to her ill health.
According to writer, Peter Bowker, Rossetti realises three depressing things in this episode:
1. Lizzie Siddal is going to be very famous because of this painting.
2. Millais is going to be hailed aas Ruskin's protege.
3. The painting that was going to be his masterpiece has already been painted by Holman Hunt.
The Order of Release
John Everett Millais.
Episode 3 is structured around this painting by Millais.
The woman featured in the painting is Effie Ruskin and, in the episode, the painting symbolises Ruskin wanted to release himself from his marriage to Effie and Effie being released from a loveless marriage.
John Ruskin and his mother came up with a plan to trick Effie into commiting adultery with John Millais, thus releasing the asexual John Ruskin from his marriage.
John Everett Millais
By Christine Riding.
John Everett Millais (British Artists)
Amazon Price: (as of 12/07/2009)
Find out more about Millais's paintings in this book.
Episode 2 Trailer
John Ruskin
Art Critic.
"If John Ruskin says "yes" the world of art follows."
Ruskin was married to Effie Gray but there unconsummated marriage was annulled and Effie later married John Everett Millais and had many children with him.
"You've painted a woman displaying sexual appetite and that is never attractive."
Ruskin made this statement to his lawyer during the divorce: "It may be thought strange that I could abstain from a woman who to most people was so attractive. But though her face was beautiful, her person was not formed to excite passion. On the contrary, there were certain circumstances in her person that completely checked it."
- John Ruskin
- Find out more about John Ruskin on Wikipedia.
Effie Ruskin
Desperate housewife.
Effie Riuskin is trapped in a loveless marriage. When her husband puts John Millais into her path she falls in love with him.
In episode three, Effie tells Millais "He alleged various reasons, hatred to children, religious motives, a desire to preserve my beauty, and, finally this last year he told me his true reason [...] that he had imagined women were quite different to what he saw I was, and that the reason he did not make me his Wife (sic) was because he was disgusted with my person the first evening." These words originally came from a letter Effie wrote to her father.
- Effie Gray
- Find out more about Effie Gray A.K.A. Effie Ruskin
Millais and Walker Convince Effie Ruskin to Attend an Exhibition
"If I wasn't British I might just try to take advantage of your situation."
Effie and Millais
"He was... a bit complicated."
William Holman Hunt
Also known as Maniac!
In "Desperate Romantics" Hunt can't resist prostitute model, Annie Miller which doesn't sit well with his religious side.
In attempt to escape his lust, he sets off to the Holy land at the end of episode three, with the hope that Annie Miller, with training, will be a lady fit to marry on his return.
Hunt says of Lizzie Siddal "If there is anything more attractive than a working woman with potential, then God is yet to show it to me." Although this is descriptive of his attraction to Annie Miller too.
- William Holman Hunt
- Find out more about William Holman Hunt on Wikipedia.
The Hireling Shepherd
Holman Hunt.
The Awakening Conscience
Holman Hunt.
The Light of the World
Holman Hunt.
"I think that's just the way you've painted him." ~Annie Miller.
The painting below features in the first episode when Annie Miller tells Holman Hunt that he can't paint temptation unless he "knows what's on the other side".
Holman Hunt and the Pre-Raphaelite Vision
Holman Hunt and the Pre-Raphaelite Vision
Amazon Price: $59.78 (as of 12/07/2009)
Find out more about Holman Hunt's paintings.
Annie Miller
Prostitute.
Whilst painting Annie's face over the top of Lizzie's, Hunt decides that the painting is wrong for Annie and begins to paint "The Hireling Shepherd" (shown above).
The Art of the Pre-Raphaelites
By Elizabeth Prettejohn.
The Art of the Pre-Raphaelites
Amazon Price: (as of 12/07/2009)
Discover more about the beautiful paintings of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood.
Here's my favorite link:
Other Artists and Illustrators
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John Bauer- Faerytale Illustrator
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I only recently discovered the work of John Bauer when the image opposite (Princess Tuvstarr) was set as a prompt for a short story competition. First I like to write down any immediate thoughts and feelings I have about a prompt and then I like to...
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Edmund Dulac
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Edmund Dulac was a French illustrator from the early 1900s. He was born in Toulouse in 1882 and died in 1953. He's most well-known for his illustrations for Hans Christian Anderson's stories, the Arabian Nights and stories like The Firebird and Cind...
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Klimt Inspired Textiles
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Like a lot of people, I love the artwork of Gustav Klimt. I adore the way he used pattern- the way every surface is decorated with interesting shapes and swirls. People often said to me that my work reminded them of Klimt's which had never been an i...
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- MeltedRachel MeltedRachel Aug 23, 2009 @ 4:08 pm | in reply to 2Eklectik
- Thanks for visiting :D
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- 2Eklectik 2Eklectik Aug 23, 2009 @ 4:06 pm
- Great lens with beautiful pictures..5*!!
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- MeltedRachel MeltedRachel Aug 11, 2009 @ 1:22 pm | in reply to rms
- Thank you for visiting :D
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- rms rms Aug 11, 2009 @ 1:06 pm
- Beautiful work! Gorgeous pictures.
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- MeltedRachel MeltedRachel Aug 11, 2009 @ 11:31 am
- Thanks everyone! :D Glad you enjoyed it.
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