Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood

[Xanthippe]

Why did they choose the name pre-Raphaelite to describe their style/group?

[violetblue]

They were trying to go back to the purity of style pre-Raphael, believing that art after this date had become 'corrupt' and had strayed from a true spirituality.

[Xanthippe]

Thank you violetblue and please excuse my ignorance, but what do you mean by 'corruption' in art? Is it to do with pictures appearing less 'realistic' and less like a painted photograph?

[JamesEverton]

There's a good summary on wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pre-Raphaelite_Br otherhood

[violetblue]

Don't know what the link is and I imagine it's good, but 'corruption' artistically was meant more in the way of scenarios being 'staged', like still life arrangements, and the Pre-Raphaelites preferred natural subjects and indeed the natural world as backdrops. Apparently this happened after Raphael; I can never quite make my mind up whether Raphael therefore was supposed to be the pinnacle of perfection or the start of 'corruption'; I think the former. Either way, I say 'corruption' inverted commas because it wasn't corruption in the way we now normally think of. Hope this helps; oh, I've noticed the link to wikepedia and I like their explanations!

[Hellion]

The Pre Rapahelites were a jokey set of young men and they told people that the letters PRB on their paintings stood for 'Penises Rather Better'!!