author
Ford Madox Brown
1821–1893
A vivid, independent-minded painter linked with the Pre-Raphaelites, he brought historical scenes and everyday life to the canvas with unusual intensity. Best known for works like Work and the vast Manchester Murals, he helped shape Victorian art without ever quite fitting neatly into a movement.
1 Audiobook
Præraphaelite diaries and letters
by Ford Madox Brown, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, Gabriele Rossetti
About the author
Born in Calais on April 16, 1821, and raised in a British family, Ford Madox Brown trained largely on the Continent before building his career in England. He became closely associated with the Pre-Raphaelite circle, and his art is often described as sharing its bright color and close attention to detail, even though he was never an official member.
He painted moral, literary, and historical subjects, and is especially remembered for major works such as Work and The Last of England. Later in life he devoted many years to the Manchester Murals, a series of twelve paintings on the history of Manchester, which became one of his most ambitious achievements.
Brown died in London on October 6, 1893. His reputation has lasted not only because of his technical skill, but because his pictures feel full of thought, character, and social observation.