‘To the discenment of truth and beauty, to the arousing of man’s imagination, to the widening of the span of this celestial region, should Art be mainly dedicated, for this most truly is its mission.’ – G. F. Watts, 1888. George Frederick Watts RA (1817-1904) was a very important Victorian artist, whose work appeals in […]
Dante Gabriel Rossetti
Snowdrops Dante Gabriel Rossetti (1828-1882) was the central figure of the Pre-Raphaelites. Together with Holman Hunt and Millais, he started the original Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, and was the ‘poetic inspiration’ of the movement. He later was the centre of a new group of Pre-Raphaelite inspired painters, tempting the young Burne Jones and William Morris to become artists. He was born in London, son of […]
Frederick Lord Leighton PRA (1830-1896)
“Sir Frederick Leighton maintains a level of excellence that would be wonderful if the reason of it were not so manifest. He invariably sets up a lofty standard, and to that standard he as invariably attains; for he knows his own power so accurately, and in accomplishment is so certain, that he is as unlikely […]
Edwin Lanseer
Edwin Landseer, the famous painter of animals, was born in London, the son of the engraver John Landseer ARA (1761-1852). He first exhibited works at the Royal Academy in 1815, at the precocious age of 13. He was elected ARA at the age of 24, and RA some five years later in 1831. Further honours […]
Gertrude Jekyll
Gertrude Jekyll (1843-1932), well known as a landscape garden designer, was trained as an artist and produced at least one important oil painting. She designed around 350 – 400 gardens in the UK, Europe and America; her influence on garden design has been pervasive to this day. She grew up in Surrey, studying art, and […]
Mary Seacole
In 1855, Mary Seacole was nursing wounded British soldiers on the battlefields of the Crimean War. Despite being turned away by the military establishment, she traveled to Crimea and set up her hospital near the front lines. For her work during the war, Seacole was awarded a medal by Queen Victoria. This is just one […]
Isambard Kingdom Brunel
Isambard Kingdom Brunel was one of the most famous and celebrated engineers of all time. He was responsible for some of the most impressive feats of engineering in history, and his work has had a lasting impact on the modern world. In this article, we will take a closer look at the life and achievements […]
Charles Darwin
British naturalist, who revolutionized the science of biology by his demonstration of evolution by natural selection. Darwin’s ON THE ORIGIN OF SPECIES BY MEANS OF NATURAL SELECTION, OR THE PRESERVATION OF FAVORED RACES IN THE STRUGGLE OF LIFE, was published on November 24, 1859, and sold out immediately. It was followed by five more editions […]
William Morris
William Morris was born in Walthamstow, Essex, on 24 March 1834. The son of a wealthy businessman, he enjoyed a comfortable childhood before going to Marlborough and Exeter College, Oxford. He originally intended to take holy orders, but his reading of the social criticism of Carlyle, Kingsley and Ruskin led him to reconsider the Church […]
John Ruskin
John Ruskin, the greatest Victorian bar Victoria, was an artist, scientist, poet, environmentalist, philosopher, and, importantly here, the pre-eminent art critic of his time. He provided the impetus that gained respectability for the Pre-Raphaelites. Ruskin’s letter to The Times in 1851, supporting the much-derided Pre-Raphaelites for their naturalism and truth to nature, marked a turning […]