Pre Raphaelite women as literary characters

by helen608

 

The images produced by Pre Raphaelite painters reflected and shaped 19th century ideals regarding relations of the sexes and representations of women. It was common for the artists to take inspiration, often quite obsessively, from literature. These images contain layers of symbolism in accordance to the text so as to reinforce the story. For example, in ‘Ophelia’ Millias includes specific flowers that float beside the body – pansies to represent love in vain, and violets and poppies to represent death. Each detail enhances the literary representation of the character and the models role in playing her.