Exhibition: Pre-Raphaelitism. Women’s Itineraries, 1850-1914

From 24 September to 10 January 2027, the Sala Recoletos de la Fundación MAPFRE in Madrid will explore the Pre-Raphaelite movement through the works of more than forty women artists. Among them are Elizabeth Siddal, Julia Margaret Cameron, May Morris and Evelyn De Morgan. Their paintings, photographs, embroidery and stained glass will offer insight into how these creators found their own artistic language in a society that granted them little freedom.

The Pre-Raphaelite movement emerged in Great Britain in 1848 with the aim of challenging the ideals of the Royal Academy. While the Academy took Raphael as its model, the young artists sought inspiration in art from before his time. Women also embraced the movement’s ideas, although their contribution remained overshadowed by their better-known peers for a long time. It was not until the 1980s that their role began to be recognised.

Curator Pamela Gerrish Nunn will examine how these artists absorbed the ideas of the Pre-Raphaelites and adapted them to their own projects. Some approached this art through their creative circles; others were drawn to the writings of the critic John Ruskin or followed their own path, defying society’s expectations.