Category: Pre-Raphaelites

Stained Glass and the Stories They Tell

Since ancient Rome, stained glass windows have been valued for their beauty. With the creation of sacred windows in houses of worship, this art form reached its peak during the Middle Ages, inspiring the faithful with their luminous narratives. As the centuries progressed, stained glass became a fixture in private homes, was later revived, and…


If Music Be the Food of Art

William Shakespeare wrote famously, “If music be the food of love, play on.” That same sentiment could be applied to music as fuel and inspiration for fine art. Music has been a muse for artists from antiquity through subsequent centuries, with musicians and singers depicted as raconteurs, divinities, and in myths. Examining a selection of historical artworks…


Golden Age Illustrator Eleanor Fortescue-Brickdale’s ‘Famous Women’

Born in Surrey, England, in 1871, Eleanor Fortescue-Brickdale (1871–1945) was a well-respected illustrator and painter of her day. In 1896, she created a lunette titled “Spring,” which was used in the Royal Academy Dining Room. In 1902, she had the honor of becoming the first female member of the Institute of Painters in Oils. She…