Prerrafaelites: women artists challenged Victorian norms

In Victorian England, female painters, sculptors, and craftspeople associated with the Prerrafaelite movement helped break down barriers within the art world.

An exhibition at Fundación Mapfre Madrid displays nearly 130 works by 42 artists, revealing the significant roles women played beyond simply inspiring art. While Victorian society restricted women’s opportunities, these artists defied expectations and asserted themselves as creative forces, rather than just muses or decorative objects.

The Prerrafaelite movement began in mid-19th century England as a rebellion against the repetitive and artificial styles taught at the Royal Academy of Arts. Founders Dante Gabriel Rossetti, John Everett Millais, and William Holman Hunt advocated for art rooted in direct observation of nature and meticulous technique, inspired by earlier Italian and Flemish masters. For women, this movement offered a more attainable path to artistic expression, emphasizing individual effort over formal academic training. However, women faced systemic obstacles.

They were excluded from life drawing classes at the Royal Academy until 1863 and were often dismissed as amateurs or assistants. Some, like Emma Sandys and Rosa Brett, disguised their gender or had their work attributed to male relatives. Class distinctions further limited opportunities, with many women entering workshops as models, a profession often stigmatized, to gain access to training. Despite these challenges, artists such as Julia Margaret Cameron and Evelyn de Morgan achieved professional success and recognition.

The societal shifts following World War I, including increased female participation in the workforce and the gaining of voting rights, ultimately helped dismantle the barriers that had long confined women artists.