Mermaids, Sirens and the Pre-Raphaelites

We are delighted to welcome Cecilia Neil-Smith to the podcast to talk about her fantastic work on depictions of mermaids and sirens within Pre-Raphaelite art. Cecilia plunges the aquatic depths of Burne-Jones, de Morgan and Waterhouse, showing how the mermaid has transformed from an ancient and medieval symbol to a challenge for Victorian conceptions of gender, sexuality, conformity and biology.    For more information and to subscribe to the Pre-Raphaelite Society, please visit www.pre-raphaelitesociety.org    All donations towards the maintenance of this podcast are gratefully received: https://gofund.me/60a58f68 

A huge congratulations on behalf of the Pre-Raphaelite Society and the Podcast team to Dr Ester Diaz Morillo on the completion of her viva! In this episode, Karl chats to Ester about her graduation, research journey and some of the amazing musical and visual adaptions compiled in the process.    For more information and to subscribe to the Pre-Raphaelite Society, please visit www.pre-raphaelitesociety.org    All donations towards the maintenance of this podcast are gratefully received: https://gofund.me/60a58f68 

Once again we are delighted to welcome Amy Lim to the podcast. Today, Amy puts on another of her hats to talk to us about the history of Buscot Park and its fascinating links to Burne-Jones and the Pre-Raphaelites. Currently the home of Lord Faringdon, Buscot Park also houses an impressive number of artworks including Burne-Jones' incredible Briar Rose series.   For more information and to subscribe to the Pre-Raphaelite Society, please visit www.pre-raphaelitesociety.org    All donations towards the maintenance of this podcast are gratefully received: https://gofund.me/60a58f68 

We are delighted to welcome Karen Livingstone to the Podcast to discuss her latest work 'Women Pioneers of the Arts and Crafts Movement'. Karen talks to us about the research and difficult selection process involved in creating such a wonderful book. She also shares with us how the Arts and Crafts movement contributed and responded to the shifting societal roles and status of women. The movement gave options for creativity and employability and affirmed many artists' involvement in the suffrage cause. 

It is a pleasure to welcome Andreane Rellou and Tessa Battaiotto to the podcast to talk about their impressive new film project 'The Three Graces'. Centred around the lives and works of Marie Spartali Stillman, Maria Zambaco and Aglaia Coronio the film aims to capture the hidden stories that deserve to be told. Andreane and Tess share their research journey into the Pre-Raphaelite links to Greece and tell us much more about these three remarkable women.    To get involved with the project, please visit their Kickstarter and donate: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1150236981/the-three-graces-a-victorian-short-film    To find out more, follow Tessa and Andreane:  https://www.instagram.com/andreanerellou/ https://www.instagram.com/tessabattaiotto/ https://www.instagram.com/thethreegracesfilm https://www.tiktok.com/@andreaneoftheisland https://www.tiktok.com/@tessabattaiotto

A huge welcome to the wonderful researcher, gallery guide and PhD student Laure Nermel. Laure joins us to discuss her work into Elizabeth Siddall's creative agency alongside the myth-making and various reimagining's that go along with the Siddall story. Laure also offers us a unique insight into how Pre-Raphaelitism was, and is, received across the channel in France.    For more information and to subscribe to the Pre-Raphaelite Society, please visit www.pre-raphaelitesociety.org    All donations towards the maintenance of this podcast are gratefully received: https://gofund.me/60a58f68 

It is a pleasure to welcome the wonderful writer and actress Claire Parker to discuss her latest project 'The Vegan Tigress' based on the fairy tales of Mary De Morgan. Claire tells us about the fascinating political and spiritual life and writings of Mary De Morgan as well as what we can expect from her excellent new play. 'The Vegan Tigress' opens on the 18th of February at the Bread and Roses Theatre, Clapham. To find out more and buy tickets, please visit: https://app.lineupnow.com/event/the-vegan-tigress    For more information and to subscribe to the Pre-Raphaelite Society, please visit www.pre-raphaelitesociety.org    All donations towards the maintenance of this podcast are gratefully received: https://gofund.me/60a58f68 

It is a pleasure to welcome art specialist and gallery owner Rupert Maas to the podcast. Rupert tells us about his lifelong love of Pre-Raphaelite drawing and shares the stories of some of the wonderful works that have passed through the Maas Gallery. The Master Drawings Fair in New York opens to the public on February 1st and the Maas Gallery will be participating for the first time since the pandemic.    To find out more please visit: https://www.maasgallery.co.uk/master-drawings-new-york-2025/    For more information and to subscribe to the Pre-Raphaelite Society, please visit www.pre-raphaelitesociety.org    All donations towards the maintenance of this podcast are gratefully received: https://gofund.me/60a58f68 

Welcome back to The Pre-Raphaelite Society's poet-in-residence Sarah Doyle for an incredible selection of Pre-Raphaelite poetry from the bleak mid-winter long, long ago. Icy blasts, warm fires and snow on snow on snow all remind us that there are no flowers without rain. This completes our seasonal poetry series, but I am sure Sarah Doyle will return again soon.    For more information and to subscribe to the Pre-Raphaelite Society, please visit www.pre-raphaelitesociety.org    All donations towards the maintenance of this podcast are gratefully received: https://gofund.me/60a58f68 

Happy New Year to all our listeners. To start 2025, it is a pleasure to welcome Dr Eliza Goodpasture, Dr Lucy Ella Rose and Dr Catia Rodriguez to the podcast for a special, roundtable episode on women's friendship networks within, and around, the Pre-Raphaelites. Eliza, Lucy, Catia and Alex discuss the professional, personal, public and social relationships of women from the early days of Pre-Raphaelitism into the fin de siècle and discuss the importance of women's networks and friendships as an emerging area of scholarship.    For more information and to subscribe to the Pre-Raphaelite Society, please visit www.pre-raphaelitesociety.org    All donations towards the maintenance of this podcast are gratefully received: https://gofund.me/60a58f68