Præraphaelite diaries and letters

A lively anthology of original papers brings the early days of the Pre‑Raphaelite Brotherhood into earshot. The first section gathers twenty‑four letters written by a teenage Dante Gabriel Rossetti between 1835 and 1854, together with two notes from his father, revealing a young poet’s candid humor, ambition and the vigor that would later shape his art. The second part presents tender letters from Ford Madox Brown to his first wife and a substantial diary spanning 1847‑1856, offering an intimate look at his domestic concerns, studio experiments and friendships within the circle.

The final component is a selection from the Brotherhood’s own journal, kept by the group’s secretary from 1849 to 1853, which records meetings, debates and the evolving aesthetic philosophy. Listeners hear the personalities behind famous canvases, sense the energy of a collaborative revolt against convention, and gain a textured portrait of a pivotal moment in Victorian art history.