Pre-Raphaelites: Victorian Avant-Garde

I had been eagerly awaiting the ‘Pre-Raphaelites: Victorian Avant-Garde’ exhibition to open at Tate Britain and visited it on Wednesday with my friend Ginevra. The exhibition has had a lot of press but I wasn’t expecting the space to be so busy

 

 

Ever since working together on the film project in Richmond’s ham house, Ginevra and I have reawakened our excitement for the pre-Raphaelite artists. From a young age we had both been made aware of these artists but it was inspiring to rediscover them at an older age with more perception and understanding.

Being so alert to nature at Ham house made Millais’ ‘Ophelia’ ever more poignant. The assortment of plants, trees and open spaces became electric in their territory and we strived to create something that could reflect this. 

 

Ginevra and I finished our work at Ham House in early 2012 so visiting the Tate now was a refreshing revisit to those memories and feelings. 

It was hard to not be overwhelmed by the amount of glorious paintings that were collected in this one space. So many paintings I have grown up with, now outstretched before me. The place was bliss

 

And what better time to visit such an exhibition just as autumn is rearing its head? The smoky atmosphere of ‘Autumn Leaves’ excites me for the October/November months. The whole feeling the movement evokes of harvest ripeness, sunsets and medieval romanticism.

The richness of green velvet cloth against a pale neck and spiralled red hair 

  This is a still from the film Ginevra made at Ham House with me as the character 'Elizabeth'. I love how I resemble a woman in a Pre-Raphaelite painting with the red hair and costume

  Ginevra and I