The Pre-Raphaelites and Italy

Published in conjunction with a 2010 exhibition organized by the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, and Museo d'Arte della Città di Ravenna, this book presents 143 paintings--some from private collections and not previously reproduced--with thorough explication. An introductory essay offers an overview of the rich theme underlying the exhibition. Three essays discuss Italian art before and after Raphael, Italian literature, and Italy and England in the 19th century--all in connection with the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood in its broadest sense, from 1848 when it was founded through its second generation. The images are beautifully presented, and the supporting scholarship makes this volume valuable as a resource beyond its function as a catalog. Colin Harrison is a curator affiliated with the Ashmolean Museum; Christopher Newall is a writer and art historian specializing in 19th-century British art. Distribution in the US is by Ashgate. Annotation ©2011 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)