Most of the exhibition was dedicated to Edward Robert Hughes. I confess I did not know anything about him. He was tutored by his Uncle, who was one of the Pre-Raphaelite painters - Arthur Hughes. His Uncle seemed to see the talent that Edward had and so the artist was born. The area of Edward seem to concentrate on was portraits and he was heavily influenced by poetic scenes.
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| Edward Robert Hughes, study (Monk ‘Fra Lippo Lippi’), 1893 © BMAG Via Twitter |
I particularly love the picture of the monk Fra lipping Lippi, ( on red chalk on paper) who was in Holy Orders, but, I sense there was something dangerous about him. I later read that he led a scandalised life. That he was placed in a monastery as a baby and so he was a reluctant monk. There is a famous poem by Robert Browning, that seems to have inspired Edward Hughes to paint this picture Click here for details. So the picture never lies. Why do I like this, perhaps I feel its because there is something so challenging about the sitter that draws you in. It has also made me explore Hughes work more, which led me to discover this lovely blog that for me expands on this exhibition very well. Click here
There were a few landscapes on display and it made me realise I needed more time to explore these, I confess I didn't take much notice and I am not sure if Hughes was the artist. and I found I needed time being drawn into these pictures. Difficult to know why, perhaps if it was Hughes he couldn't find the way to bring soul into his work and could only do this with portraits. They seem to me lack the vitality to draw me in. Perhaps that was the purpose, you had to look and not feel. Sadly I cannot find them and was not permitted to take pictures so I cannot even show them here. - I will have to go back and see if I can take some sneaky shots.
I could not pull myself away from this one Bertuccio's Bride.
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| Bertuccio's Bride by E.R. Hughes ©@BM_AG via Twitter |
I cannot tell the story any better then this small extract from the Guide to International Tales Found in Classical Literature by Hanson.
‘Bertuccio ransoms with part of his inheritance the body of a gentleman from his murderers and with the residue frees from robbers a maiden who unknown to him is a princess. She is soon reclaimed but before leaving makes a contract of betrothal with Bertuccio. By the aid of a mysterious knight he meets, and with whom he changes clothes, he brings her home as his bride, and they meet the knight. Bertuccio is about to divide with him, according to their part, the wedding gifts, when everything is given up by the knight who proves to be the grateful spirit of the murdered gentleman.’ (Hanson 2002)It a delightful story and Hughes portrays the scene in the classical romanticism style that was used towards the 18th century.
Blue Phantasies
Seeing such delightful and romantic paintings whisked me off to never never land. I have yet to discover how these paintings were inspired, so I am going to imagine Hughes was enchanted by romantic poetry of lost souls looking to find each other. Whatever it was it is clear to me he was drawn to mystery, sleep, death and love.
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| Midsummer Eve Eve ©@BM_AG via Twitter |
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Night with her Train of Stars and her Great Gift of Sleep
©@BM_AG via Twitter |
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Dream Idyll ©
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At first it was not clear to me the size of the horse and it suggested that that woman is quite small. Was Hughes was trying to portray how the woman may be feeling. Possibly daunted by the task they have to face, or the fear of who they are running away from?
On closer inspection suddenly the woman grows in size and so you feel you have been duped. It is clear how he has done this. I feel that by shrouding the horse in a cirrus of delicate filaments this gives the impression of making the women looking smaller.
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Wings of the morning
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Twilight Fantasies
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Such a wonderful artist and yet sadly so unknown.
“All that we see or seem
is but a dream within a dream.”
is but a dream within a dream.”
~ Edgar Allan Poe
- See more at: http://homeinsteaders.org/category/dreams/#sthash.z2VnUtMl.dpuf
“All that we see or seem
is but a dream within a dream.”
is but a dream within a dream.”
~ Edgar Allan Poe
- See more at: http://homeinsteaders.org/category/dreams/#sthash.z2VnUtMl.dpuf
All that we see or seem is but a dream within a dream.”
Edgar Allan Poe
I am defiantly going back to see this exhibition before it finishes. Edgar Allan Poe
References
BMAG (Dec 2015a) Bertuccio's Bride by E.R. Hughes Bertuccio's Bride by E.R. Hughes - another reason to see
BMAG (Dec 2015b) Birmingham Museums
See #EnchantedDreams: The #PreRaphaelite Art of ER Hughes @BM_AG. It is rather special! http://www.birminghammuseums.org.uk/bmag/whats-on/enchanted-dreams-the-pre-raphaelite-art-of-edward-robert-hughes [Tweet]. Retrieved fromhttps://twitter.com/BM_AG/media
BMAG Curators (Sep 25) BMAG curators
@BMAGcurators First #EnchantedDreams events have been announced: visit the exhibition page to find out more www.birminghammuseums.org.uk/bmag/whats-on/enchanted-dreams-the-pre-raphaelite-art-of-edward-robert-hughes [ Tweet]. Retrieved from https://twitter.com/BMAGcurators/media
Bibliograpahy
Osbourne VJ (2009) A British Symbolist in Pre-Raphaelite Circles: Edward Robert Hughes RWS (1851 - 1914). Master of Philosophy. The University of Birmingham
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