Footnotes Of History

Back in 1848, a gang of rather pretentious young men with a sentimental disaffection for daily life started their own cultural revolution.  They were artists, poets and intellectuals of independent means, intent on shaping a new, idealised world of their own through their own creations. The Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood were to some extent an early version of the 1960s cultural revolution.  Their artistic achievements have left a stunning legacy. Many would agree that works like Ophelia and the Lady of Shallot truly embody the modern perception of what art is supposed to be. But there is a darker side to this glorious success story. In many of their works is depicted a woman – a red-headed, pale and often fragile depiction of femininity that repeats across innumerable works by the Pre-Raphaelites. In this episode you’ll discover: - The powerful tragedy behind the world’s most famous red-haired muse  - The soaring artistic heights and the depraved troughs of the Pre-Raphaelites’ counter-cultural li