They preferred the Middle Ages to the progress of the Industrial Revolution. The painters of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood were true revolutionaries. In 1848, John Everett Millais, Dante Gabriel Rossetti and another five students at the Royal Academy began signing their paintings with the initials PRB, shrouding this acronym in mystery. Behind the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood lay the allure of Dante and the cursed stories of Shakespeare, the poetry of Keats and the vastness of the Bible. These were the arms employed against the hated Academy, where painting languished in the cages of convention. And Raphael? The artist from Urbino was considered the first perpetrator of the destruction of art, having spoiled it with affectation. It was necessary to get back to the origins, follow the lead of the primitive Italians. Young, audacious, bohemian, the Pre-Raphaelites scandalised England with their non-conformist life-styles. Then the group vanished along with its secret name, leaving a lasting influence behind. It is quite evident looking at the paintings at the Tate Britain - in no time at all, the rebels of Victorian England left their mark with masterpieces such as Ophelia and The Lady of Shalott, changing art history from illustration to photography.
A journey to discover the Indian sculptor Mrinalini Mukherjee revisited through the works, drawings and sculptures of the artists who have most influenced her and with whom she has collaborated.
Marking the 250th anniversary of their births, a landmark exhibition explores the intertwined lives and legacies of Turner and Constable, two of the most important 19th-century British landscape painters.
Just For One Day is the musical inspired by the legendary Live Aid of 1985 which, after a successful world tour, arrives in the West End. Written by John O’Farrell and directed by Luke Sheppard, the musical recalls the performances by Queen, David Bowie, U2 and other giants of music.
An exhibition celebrates Edwin Austin Abbey, a 19th-century American artist, showcasing his study for the monumental work The Hours created for the Pennsylvania State Capitol.
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