The Representation of Women in Pre-Raphaelite Art

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The Representation of Women in Pre-Raphaelite Art

The paintings of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood presented various representations of womanhood that existed during the Victorian era. Through opposing images of sexuality and virtue, the artists made their female subjects elevated and yet imprisoned. These women are a metaphor for the position and role that the ideal Victorian female was expected to take.

The first prevalent representation of women in the artwork of this period is that of the Holy Virgin. They are the ideal image of piety and virtue. In Rossetti's "Ecca Ancilla Domini", the artist attempts to portray the religious significance of the Blessed Virgin. In this scene, the archangel Gabriel comes to Mary, who is fully clothed in a shapeless nightgown, giving no hint of sexuality. And yet "Mary shrinks back against the wall in maiden modesty, as if trying to evade the violation of the archangel's lily stem, which points directly at her womb" (Marsh, 32). It is significant that Mary was chosen for her maidenhood and spiritual perfection. These are the ideals of femininity in Victorian society.

Another female symbol found in art that best represents the Victorian ideal of