Dunno about you, but I’m enormously enjoying the saucy romp that is BBC 2′s Desperate Romantics. It may be a highly compressed and questionably accurate portrayal of events, but I declare, sir, it’s damn good fun. If you’ve missed it, all the episodes are still available on BBC iPlayer, and of course we still have one to go with the inevitably tragic conclusion of poor Lizzie Siddal‘s story.
(Alas, poor American cousins, I don’t believe you lot are permitted to watch iPlayer. Not because you’re colonials, but you see, it is part of that heinous institution that is second only to our socialised healthcare in devilry and sinful liberality – our socialised telly. Who knows where it might lead if we let you see it. Death panels for people who refuse to watch America’s Got Talent? It cannot be allowed.)
But even without experiencing the rather yummy Aidan Turner as an exuberant Dante Gabriel Rossetti, I’m guessing you know at least something about the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, that clique of young painters who challenged the painting status quo in the mid-19th century and presaged not only symbolist painting but also the Arts and Crafts movement. I’m sure you know, or at least recognise, many of their most famous works, like William Holman Hunt‘s The Awakening Conscience or Rossetti’s Proserpine. But it may be that like me, you’ve only ever seen their works in the pages of a book.
I was exceedingly gratified therefore to find out today that the Tate Gallery has had the six paintings that feature in the series digitised and they are now available online at the BBC’s website. John Everett Millais‘s Christ in the House of his Parents, Ophelia and The Order of Release, Hunt’s The Scapegoat and Rossetti’s Bocca Baciata and Beata Beatrix can all be seen in great, zoomable (yes, I made that word up) detail with commentary by the Tate’s own Pre-Raphaelite specialist. And when I say detail, I mean detail – right down to the brushstrokes delineating hair and the cracks in the paint surface.
I have no excuse for not having seen these paintings in the flesh; it’s only a couple of hours to London (even if I do loathe the place with a passion). But even if you’re not so close, you can now take fresh look at these familiar images through the marvel of modern electrickery. I commend it most highly to your kind attention.
I am, as ever, sincerely yours,
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“I’m not bossy, I just have better ideas” …… take it from me – an old pal – this has been true since Kindergarten!!! lol ;o)
Hi, had to pop by and say enjoyed sunday big time, went to oxford and got myself a copy of desperate romantics thank you would never have known about it, have made a book cover so as not to see the words FM, i just can not get to grips with these strange beeb types and we are black listed cause no one and i mean no one leaves the beeb of their own accord, but we did, i am such an anarchist, i can not toe the line not even for the BBC…Your work is absolutely lovely Neville was tres impressed. Told eldest i was reading D/R, gave her a brief insight, as i missed the first episode i am enjoying the prologe and the first few chapters, the streets mentioned are where Daisy (first born works) she said Rossetti probably lived above Topshop to the left of HMV, which i thought was hilarious, o’h to be back in 1848, swilling gin and frollicking with bohemian artists, but being frightfully rich of course, i could not and would not be able to cope with the slums, back in the 21st century, hoping you had a posotive open studio, and many more to come, with much regards stephne x
Hey, it was lovely to meet you both! Really fun to chat about the PRB, bohemians et al. And the idea of Rossetti living above TopShop – priceless! Wouldn’t he just have loved all those girls coming in to buy skimpy tops?!