In Victorian England, with the country swept up in the Industrial Revolution, the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, close to William Morris' Arts and Crafts movement, yearned for a return to bygone values. Wishing to revive the pure and noble forms of the Italian Renaissance, the major painters of the circle such as John Everett Millais, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, and Edward Burne-Jones, in opposition to the academicism of the time, favored realism and biblical themes over the affected canons of the 19th century. This work, with its captivating text and rich illustrations, describes with enthusiasm this singular movement which notably inspired the followers of Art Nouveau and Symbolism.About the Author: Robert de la Sizeranne was a historian. The subjects of his works focused on English painting (19th century), Italian Renaissance, Ruskin aesthicism, and photography.