S2 Ep 02: Rebels in Red: The Pre-Raphaelites and the Art That Changed Britain

About this episode

This episode explores the impact of the Pre-Raphaelites on British art and culture through a discussion with Dr. Alison Smith.

How do a BBC fever dream, Victorian sex scandals, and a secret brotherhood of rebellious artists rewrite what we think we know about the past? In this provocative episode of History for F**k’s Sake host Sarah Dowd is joined by Dr. Alison Smith, Director of Collections and Research at the Wallace Collection, and one of the UK’s leading voices on 19th-century British art and the Victorian nude. Together, they discuss Ken Russell’s wild 1967 film Dante’s Inferno to interrogate the pop-culture myth of the Pre-Raphaelites and pull back the curtain on the revolution these artists launched in the age of upheaval. Exploring how 1848 upended ideas about morality, class, the body, and who gets to tell the stories of beauty and power. Why did the female nude become a political battleground on canvas? Why are we still haunted by Victorian debates over agency and control? And can we ever escape the straitjackets of archetype and respectability whether in art galleries or on TikTok? If you’ve ever wondered why history is never just old news, this is essential listening. Here are the highlights: 00:00 Intro: Ken Russell’s Dante’s Inferno , and the Pre-Raphaelite myth 01:08 Dr. Alison Smith, her…

People in this episode

Host: Sarah Dowd

Guest: Dr. Alison Smith

Topics covered

• Pre-Raphaelites
• Victorian art
• sexuality
• pop culture
• morality
• agency
• political battleground

Keywords

• Pre-Raphaelites
• Victorian art
• Dante’s Inferno
• sexuality
• morality
• agency
• art history
• 19th-century
• politics
• female nude

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Wallace Collection, Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood

Books & works: Dante’s Inferno, Christ in the House of H

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