Pre-Raphaelite Immortals
Analysing the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood's heroes (and two heroines)
Recently my research has caused me to look back to the first principles of Pre-Raphaelitism, and of course one of my sources for this is William Holman Hunt’s Pre-Raphaelitism and the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. In particular, I’ve been thinking about the PRB’s ‘List of Immortals’; on the one hand, it’s such a teenage thing to do, to create a list of the people who you think are great; on the other hand, it’s fabulous for research purposes to be able to consider the influence these Immortals had on the work of the Pre-Raphaelites.
There are 57 names on the list, two of which are women (Elizabeth Barrett Browning and, oddly, Joan of Arc). Have you ever wondered whether there are more writers than artists on the list, or whether more of them are medieval or nineteenth century? Well, here are your answers.
Architect 1; Artist 14; Historical figure 9; Writer 29; Scientist 1; Sculptor 2.
1st century 2; 5th century BCE 1; 6th century BCE 1; 8th century BCE 2; 12th century 1; 13th century 2; 14th century 5; 15th century 9; 16th century 5; 17th century 6; 18th century 5; 19th century 18.
Other interesting conclusions relate to the star rating: figures were allocated 0-4 stars (only Jesus got 4 stars). 34 have no stars; of those who have 1 or more stars, only 3 were artists (Raphael and Fra Angelico, 1 star; Leonardo 2 stars).
0 stars 34; 1 star 8; 2 stars 12; 3 stars 2; 4 stars 1.
I’m sure you’ve always wanted to know who Kosciusko is, or find out more about the ‘Author of Stories after Nature’. Below is a complete list of Wikipedia links to every figure, for easy access. I think there are all kinds of other interesting conclusions to be drawn from this data, so if you’re actually interested let me know and I’ll share my spreadsheet with you!
Early Gothic Architects Early Gothic architecture - Wikipedia Cavalier Pugliesi Giacomino Pugliese - Wikipedia Rienzi Cola di Rienzo - Wikipedia Ghiberti Lorenzo Ghiberti - Wikipedia Early English Balladists Minstrel - Wikipedia Michael Angelo Michelangelo - Wikipedia Giovanni Bellini Giovanni Bellini - Wikipedia Giorgioni [sic] Giorgione - Wikipedia Titian Titian - Wikipedia Columbus Christopher Columbus - Wikipedia Joan of Arc Joan of Arc - Wikipedia Tintoretto Tintoretto - Wikipedia Bacon Francis Bacon - Wikipedia Spenser Edmund Spenser - Wikipedia Cervantes Miguel de Cervantes - Wikipedia Poussin Nicolas Poussin - Wikipedia Hogarth William Hogarth - Wikipedia Cromwell Oliver Cromwell - Wikipedia Hampden John Hampden - Wikipedia Newton Isaac Newton - Wikipedia Milton John Milton - Wikipedia Kosciusko Tadeusz Kościuszko - Wikipedia Flaxman John Flaxman - Wikipedia Hilton William Hilton (painter) - Wikipedia Haydon Benjamin Robert Haydon - Wikipedia Wilkie David Wilkie (artist) - Wikipedia Poe Edgar Allan Poe - Wikipedia Hood Thomas Hood - Wikipedia Byron Lord Byron - Wikipedia Emerson Ralph Waldo Emerson - Wikipedia Wordsworth William Wordsworth - Wikipedia Leigh Hunt Leigh Hunt - Wikipedia Pheidias Phidias - Wikipedia Isaiah Isaiah - Wikipedia Boccaccio Giovanni Boccaccio - Wikipedia Raphael Raphael - Wikipedia Fra Angelico Fra Angelico - Wikipedia Longfellow Henry Wadsworth Longfellow - Wikipedia Author of Stories after Nature * [Charles Jeremiah Wells] Charles Jeremiah Wells - Wikipedia Mrs Browning Elizabeth Barrett Browning - Wikipedia Tennyson Alfred, Lord Tennyson - Wikipedia Patmore Coventry Patmore - Wikipedia Dante Dante Alighieri - Wikipedia Chaucer Geoffrey Chaucer - Wikipedia Leonardo da Vinci Leonardo da Vinci - Wikipedia Washington George Washington - Wikipedia Goethe Johann Wolfgang von Goethe - Wikipedia Shelley Percy Bysshe Shelley - Wikipedia Landor Walter Savage Landor - Wikipedia Thackeray William Makepeace Thackeray - Wikipedia Keats John Keats - Wikipedia Browning Robert Browning - Wikipedia Alfred Alfred the Great - Wikipedia Homer Homer - Wikipedia Shakespeare William Shakespeare - Wikipedia The Author of Job Book of Job - Wikipedia Jesus Christ Jesus - Wikipedia