A collection of essays which claims that a complex network of texts by critics, biographers and diarists established the credibility and influence of the Pre-Raphaelite movement. It reveals that the British group anticipated later avant-gardes by using the written word to configure for itself a radical artistic identity.
This interdisciplinary collection uncovers the neglected role of the written word in the success of the Pre-Raphaelites. The essays argue that a complex network of texts established the credibility of Pre-Raphaelitism as a radical movement. Detailed case studies reveal how the movement's wide influence derived from the interplay between exhibited works and critical discourse. Pre-Raphaelitism's pioneering avant-garde strategies can claim a central place in the history of nineteenth-century European culture.
This interdisciplinary collection uncovers the neglected role of the written word in the success of the Pre-Raphaelites. The essays argue that a complex network of texts established the credibility of Pre-Raphaelitism as a radical movement. Detailed case studies reveal how the movement's wide influence derived from the interplay between exhibited works and critical discourse. Pre-Raphaelitism's pioneering avant-garde strategies can claim a central place in the history of nineteenth-century European culture.