The Hidden Women of the Pre-Raphaelites

About this tour

Step into the lives of muses, models, and artists who challenged Victorian norms. This tour uncovers the women behind—and increasingly within—the Pre-Raphaelite movement, revealing ambition, exploitation, and quiet acts of resistance.

What you'll hear

1. 1

   Stop 1 — Welcome to Tate Britain

   We’ll be looking at the women who are so often forgotten as part of the Pre-Raphaelites, but who served as integral components of this important art movement. Start this tour in Room 10.

2. 2

   Stop 2 — Ophelia by John Everett Millais

   We look at Elizabeth Siddal, a model, poet, and one of the first working-class women to become a professional artist.

3. 3

   Stop 3 — Beata Beatrix by Dante Gabriel Rossetti

   We get further into Elizabeth Siddal’s life and early death, looking at how she was immortalised by her husband.

4. 4

   Stop 4 — The Beloved by Dante Gabriel Rossetti

   We talk about the women who sat for this picture, but whose names do not feature on the walls here.

5. 5

   Stop 5 — The Awakening Conscience by William Holman Hunt

   A look at how sexual purity was viewed in Victorian Britain, and what the differences were between men’s sexual prowess and women’s.

6. 6

   Stop 6 — The Lady of Shalott by William Holman Hunt

   We talk about one of the most idealised women in Pre-Raphaelite art, and ask what made her such an icon amongst these men.

7. 7

   Stop 7 — The Remnants of an Army by Lady Butler

   This iconic picture turns the male gaze on itself, and we ask why so few women were let into the Royal Academy.