Pre-Raphaelite Society

'Since 1849 the Pre-Raphaelite Movement has coloured and influenced the appreciation of art, not only in its British birthplace but throughout the world. The three great founding artists – Millais, Rossetti and Holman-Hunt – possessed between them, the over-powering enthusiasm of youth, a brilliance of technique, a dedication to a romantic ideal and the pursuit of the true principles of art.

'But the enduring visual image of Pre-Raphaelitism was forged by Birmingham’s native son, Sir Edward Burne-Jones. Greatest of the followers, he became a leader in his turn, and it is in his paintings and dpandorarawings, his designs for tapestries and stained glass, that the world recognises Pre-Raphaelite art without hesitation for what it is – a mode of thought and a style of work resting on definable and justified foundations.

'Because of this it is appropriate that the Pre-Raphaelite Society should have been founded in Birmingham, where the Museum and Art Gallery contains the unrivalled collection of his work. Without Burne-Jones, the Pre-Raphaelite Movement would have been a phenomenon not a continuity. His friendship and close association with William Morris ensured the permanence of the Pre-Raphaelite style through his link with the Arts and Crafts Movement, carrying their united spirit on into the twentieth century.'