Themes Of Pre-Raphaelite Orientalism: Religion, Exoticism, And Textiles In The Orientalist Discourse

The Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood often recalls the fantastic, medieval themes used by the artists or a dialogue of their personal lives. This thesis aims to allow the reevaluation of William Holman Hunt, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, and William Morris through the lens of Orientalism. Using the definitions of Orientalism by Edward Said and later Linda Nochlin, three works, one by each artist, will be broken down into elements that exhibit different Orientalist elements used by the artists. These elements will focus on themes of religion, exoticism, and Islamic textile work. Each artist takes a different path in their art by participating in the discourse in an overt, latent, or appreciation of Eastern art methods.