FAQs

Your Cart

Close
Paper Plane Your order qualifies for free standard delivery
Subtotal £0.00
Delivery £0.00
Order Total £0
Checkout Securely

Did you know this about the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood?

24th February 2019

The Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood were founded in 1848 by William Holman Hunt, John Everett Millais and Dante Gabriel Rossetti. The group was made up of English painters, poets and critics. Joining the three founders were four more members; William Michael Rossetti, James Collinson and Dante Gabriel Rossetti. This formed the seven members which were known as the Brotherhood. 

The principles of this group have been influential for artists; notably the first wave of artists were Ford Madox Brown, Arthur Hughes and Marie Spartali Stillman. 

It was this original group in 1848 that inspired a later more medieval strain of the group which included Edward Burne-Jones. Rossetti in particular had a huge impact on Burne-Jones, William Morris and friends. 

  1. The Brotherhood was a direct response to the work of Raphael. The classical poses he favoured created elegant art and they believed this had a corrupting influence on the academic teaching of art. The name therefore… Pre-Raphaelite. 
  2. The Brotherhood wanted to focus on reviving art to the Quattrocento Italian art. Full of intense vibrant colours, minute detailing and complex compositions. That art is truly beautiful; if you ever get the chance to see any of the Pre-Raphaelite artists art, you should seize it! There’s some pieces in the Tate in London; if you visit, be sure to look out for them.
  3. The published their own periodical; The Germ. They used this to promote their ideas. Though remembered for their art, this publication included ideas and concerns which allowed them to spread the message of the group to a wider society. This was a great way to spread their message – there was no social media viral movement in those days remember!
  4. The movement was founded in John Millais’s parents house on Gower Street in London. In attendance; Millais, Rossetti and Holman Hunt. 
  5. The Brotherhood actually intended to keep the existence of the group secret of the Royal Academy. 
  6. The Brotherhood was much more than a period or aspect of art. It was a social, political and cultural phenomenon and rebellion. 
  7. The medieval strain of the group which included Burne-Jones and Morris was at a time where mass industrialisation was occurring; the group were passionate about using traditional methods of craft by traditional and skilled craftsmen.
  8. Because the movement was supposed to be secret. The founding members signed paintings with, ‘’PRB’’ along with their own signature. They then refused to explain the initials and this piqued the interest of the art critics and buyers of the time. 
  9. 1848 – the year the Brotherhood was founded, became known as the, ‘Year of Revolution.’ Beginning in France and spreading across Europe. The cause was the political and social dissatisfaction and unrest of the time. The working and middle classes wanted freedom of speech and democracy.
  10. John Everett Millais – one of the founding members of the PRB was gifted from a young age. Becoming aware of his talents when he was aged nine, his mother moved them to London and he was granted early entry to the Royal Academy when he was only eleven. He was the youngest student ever to be admitted. 
  11. You can’t speak about the Brotherhood and their work without mentioning the women. Their models and muses that dominate their work have caused them to be known as ultimate Pre Raphaelite women. This gains us an insight as to what their ideal beauty looked like at the time. Lizzie Siddal and Jane Morris were amongst these women and feature in many of the paintings. Siddal was a muse for many of the artists; notably her husband’s in particular. She married Dante Gabriel Rossetti in 1860.

We hope you enjoyed this blog and learnt more about the Pre Raphaelite Brotherhood. There’s so much to read and learn about the movement that we can’t possibly include it all in one blog. However – keep your eyes peeled for further updates on our blog and social media; we love to post on Instagram and Twitter! 

Related Articles

Post Title

William Morris Eyebright

We've always been drawn to William Morris Eyebright design since it's so versatile and timeless. One thing we love about Morris designs (additional to the...

Post Title

“Quality is never an accident; it is always the result of intelligent effort.” – John Ruskin

Born on this day in 1819, John Ruskin remains remembered as one of the most influential intellectuals and activists of the Victorian Age. You may...

Post Title

Llandaff Cathedral, Cardiff

  Before you walk into Llandaff Cathedral with all its PreRaphaelite treasures, you will see that the immediate surrounding area of the Cathedral has its...

Back in stock 🌿 Our Strawberry Thief blue oven gloves (and placemats too!) 🍓 a stunning addition to every kitchen 🫶🏻
•
•
•
#williammorris #williammorrisfabric #williammorrisdesign #williammorrisprint #strawberrythief #preraphaelite #yorkshirefabricshop #fabricdesign #fabricstash
Bringing timeless elegance to the kitchen with our William Morris Strawberry Thief red oven glove and matching tea towel 🍓🕊️ The perfect blend of beauty and function—who said everyday essentials can’t be art? 🫶🏻
•
•
•
#WilliamMorris #StrawberryThief #KitchenStyle #HeritagePrint #BritishDesign #CottagecoreKitchen #KitchenInspo #TimelessDesign #TextileArt #HomeDetails #MorrisAndCo #FloralPrint #OvenGloveStyle #TeaTowelLove #PatternedKitchen
🎉 GIVEAWAY TIME! 🎉
Win 2 meters of the stunning William Morris “Daisy” fabric – perfect for your next sewing or home décor project! 🌼✨
To enter:
1️⃣ Like this post
2️⃣ Follow us
3️⃣ Tag a friend who loves fabric as much as you do!

📅 Winner announced 1st July
Good luck! 💛🌼
*
*
*
#WilliamMorrisFabric #FabricGiveaway #SewingCommunity #QuiltingLife #CraftAddict #TextileLovers #FabricStash #SewingInspiration #HomeDecorFabric #DaisyFabric #Sewcialists #giveaway #giveawaycontest #win #winner #competition #competitiontime
50% off Daisy heavyweight and cotton fabric?! 🌼 Oopsy Daisy we printed too much, so there’s now 50% off this incredibly beautiful William Morris design- what are you waiting for! 🫶🏻 This was the first design William Morris ever produced so it remains an incredibly special one, and such a timeless design, it’s perfect for quilting and crafting, the heavyweight is brilliant for light upholstery and curtain making! 🌿 Heavyweight is now £4 for half a meter and cotton is £3.50 for half a meter 🤯
•
•
•
#williammorris #williammorrisfabric #williammorrisdesign #williammorrisfabrics #fabric #florals #salefabric #discount #quiltingfabric #sewingfabric #upholsteryfabric #curtainfabric #smallbusiness
✨ Timeless beauty for your kitchen ✨
Our Pimpernel Green tea towel and oven glove bring the iconic elegance of William Morris into your everyday. Perfect for adding a touch of Arts & Crafts charm to your home 🌿

Available now in our shop!
•
•
•
#WilliamMorris #ArtsAndCraftsMovement #PimpernelGreen #KitchenStyle #HeritageDesign #TimelessInteriors #FloralTextiles #HomeStyle #CountryKitchen #CottagecoreAesthetic #EcoHomeDecor #WilliamMorrisTextiles #BritishDesign #ArtisanKitchen #SustainableStyle
If you had to guess our favourite colour combo? 🫶🏻 Beautiful Brother Rabbits on the table today along with some stunning blue and white blooms 🤍
•
•
•
#blueandwhiteforever #blueandwhitedecor #blueandwhitehome #williammorris #williammorrisdesign #brotherrabbit #preraphaelite #artsandcraftsmovement
What have you made with bias binding? 🌿 Perfect for crafting, we’ve got some amazing sales on our 50m bias binding rolls in Red Strawberry Thief, Lily and Trellis have 80% off, a 50m roll for £25- what would you make? 🪡🧵
•
•
•
#williammorris #williammorrisfabric #williammorrisdesign #williammorrisfabrics #biasbinding #biasbindinguk #fabricsale #fabricsales
Which is your fave; Strawberry Thief red or blue? 🫶🏻 
•
•
•
#williammorris #williammorrisfabric #williammorrisdesign #williammorrisdesigns #preraphaelites #artsandcraftsmovement #strawberrythief #printedintheuk
A gorgeous Strawberry Thief tablescape - because why not make everyday things just that little bit prettier? 🥰 Is Strawberry Thief blue or red your fave? 🫶🏻
•
•
•
#williammorris #williammorrisfabric #williammorrisdesign #uksmallbusiness #smallbusiness #smallbusinessowner #strawberrythief #strawberrythiefprint #preraphaelite
These gorgeous flowers steal the show in our easy little Saturday tablescape 🫶🏻 Lily is one of our favourite William Morris designs and we were so happy to be able to digitally print it now, of course it’s still printed here in the UK 🇬🇧 
•
•
•
#cottagecore #flowers #williammorris #williammorrisfabric #williammorrisdesign #aldifinds #lily #aldiflowers
Beautiful blooms wrapped in timeless William Morris beauty 🌸✨
This William Morris floral Mallow Wine is so gorgeous and one of our faves year round 🫶🏻
•
•
•
#WilliamMorris #FloralDesign #MallowWine #VintageStyle #BotanicalBeauty #ClassicCharm #TextileArt #TimelessDesign #PatternLovers #NatureInspired #RomanticDetails #FloralFabric #EnglishHeritage #ElegantAesthetic
Totally obsessed with these dreamy William Morris florals 🌸🪡
Perfect for sewing projects, cushions, curtains – you name it. Classic prints that never go out of style!
•
•
•
#WilliamMorrisFabric #FloralVibes #SewingProjects #FabricAddict #VintageFlorals #HomeStyle #CraftyCorner #InteriorInspo #CottagecoreVibes #PrettyPatterns #FabricStashGoals
Every Laura’s Beau team member has a William Morris napkin on hand at all time; even on the beach apparently 😂 Dreaming of beach days in Cornwall a few weeks ago ⛱️
•
•
•
#cornwall #cornwallbeaches #cornwalluk #icecream #napkin #strawberrythief #williammorris
A little William Morris floral magic hanging over the cooker today 🫶🏻 can you name this Morris design? 🤎
•
•
•
#williammorris #williammorrisfabric #ovenglove #teatowel #teatoweldesign #teatowelsofinstagram #cottagecoreaesthetic #cottagecore #compton
Spending Friday eve arranging some fresh blooms round the house ready for bank holiday weekend 🥰 Remember our 15% discount is still running on our website, use code: SPRINGBLOOMS 🫶🏻
•
•
•
#bankholidayweekend #williammorris #pimpernel #freshflowers #iris #flowerarranging #cutflowers
Cut some fresh blooms out of the garden today so we can have them decorate our table 🌷 We 🫶🏻 you beautiful Golden Lily 🌿
•
•
•
#freshflower #freshflowersmakemehappy #freshflowersbouquet #williammorris #williammorrisfloral #flowersfrommygarden #flowersmakethehome #floraltable #goldenlily
Always one of our favourites, our Willow Bough blue tablecloth brings the beauty of William Morris into the home, remember our whole website is 15% off this week! Use code: springblooms 🌿
•
•
•
#williammorris #williammorrisfabric #williammorrisdesign #fabrics #willowbough #inspiredbynature #floraltable #tablecloth
Making everything in life its own little event, even a coffee and a cake 🫶🏻 Featuring our Strawberry Thief red William Morris design napkin and placemat 🍓
•
•
•
#williammorris #williammorrisfabric #williammorrisdesign #strawberrythief #lifesmoments #atthekitchentable #smallmomentsofcalm
The easiest napkin fold is so effective 🫶🏻 Next to a dinner plate or placed on the plate with a cake fork, it’s perfect for easy yet chic presentation 🍴
•
•
•
#napkinfold #napkinfolding #tablescape #atthekitchentable #williammorris #williammorrisfabric #preraphaelite #floraldesign