Comments on The Earthly Paradise: Desperate Romantics

Oh dear. Just watched the first episode last night...

2009-07-22T01:28:41.056-06:00

Oh dear. Just watched the first episode last night. Nice production values though.

It does, in a way, seem a shame that the BBC (well...

2009-07-03T12:07:38.631-06:00

It does, in a way, seem a shame that the BBC (well, not just the BBC) have to try to make everything "relevant" to modern society in order for it to reach the general public. Not that the PRB aren't relevant, but sometimes they overstretch that angle and go for the "shock" stories rather than the really interesting stuff. That said, I'm going to see the previews of "Desperate Romantics" in London soon and can't wait!

I was watching the three part of the PRB series on...

2009-07-02T08:26:39.894-06:00

I was watching the three part of the PRB series on BBC 4 yesterday and I was fascinated to see how some did use their fame to generate partly the celebratory culture. Yet in some ways, it wrecked the three pillars of Millais - going to create chocolate box images e.g. Pears soap, Holman Hunt's religious imagery and Rossetti's lost into Sensualism.

I am sure that a good case can be made for most people being party to this celebratory culutre e.g. Frances Somerset portrait at the NPG. Lovely looking picture, looking like butter would not melt in her mouth, but then it might have been before the poison trial. Beau Brummel in Regency times and again in Victorian times, you have a hunger for larger than life characters. One of my favourite is Thomas Cochrane, who was the model for Hornblower and Aubrey.

Going back to the programme, I founded out that picture would go on tour and audience would pay to see them. No wonder there were a lot of art galleries build at the end of 19th Century for education improvement.

Yes, I'll be watching too, no matter how silly it ...

2009-06-30T22:56:16.218-06:00

Yes, I'll be watching too, no matter how silly it may be!

Oh, and Jason, perhaps we can give Samuel Barnett the benefit of the doubt. Perhaps he meant the National Portrait Gallery?

The Pre-Raphaelites as "sex, drugs and rock and ro...

2009-06-29T10:50:18.863-06:00

The Pre-Raphaelites as "sex, drugs and rock and roll"! Wow. But we know I shall be watching!!

Of course for all of the actor's purported researc...

2009-06-29T10:15:14.966-06:00

Of course for all of the actor's purported research, he should know that there are no Millais pictures at the National Gallery -- they are at Tate Britain...

The IMDB entry does show a cast list: http://www....

2009-06-29T09:02:22.070-06:00

The IMDB entry does show a cast list:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1358304/

which gives a few more clues. The BBC are saying it is scheduled for October this year. Thanks to Grace for highlighting this.