First Night Design | Pre-Raphaelite Beauty #Art


Pre-Raphaelite Beauty © Sarah Vernon - Fine Art America
Pre-Raphaelite Beauty © Sarah Vernon – Fine Art America

This adaptation of an autochrome photograph from Wikimedia by Robert Demachy (1859-1936), which was taken some time between 1907 and 1915, took a great deal of work to get just right.

Female nude draped in a blue veil, autochrome by Robert Demachy
Female nude draped in a blue veil, autochrome by Robert Demachy

The original image is enchanting but as soon as I saw it, I wanted to turn it into a painting with a hint of the Pre-Raphaelites about it — yes, one of those rare occasions when I knew what I desired and didn’t wait for one of my ‘accidents’!

I used various textures to give it colour and texture before using a detail of the clock from this image to create the top right-hand detail. I duplicated this detail and warped and shaped it to create an art nouveau pattern for the drape. I also removed her left arm as it looked slightly odd!

Pre-Raphaelite Beauty Mugs © Sarah Vernon
Pre-Raphaelite Beauty Mugs © Sarah Vernon

I had to think carefully when uploading it to my galleries as a lot of the groups (such as on Redbubble) don’t accept nudity. I had to tick boxes about ‘mature content’. I’m not sure I’ll do another nude any time soon!


Look in my face; my name is Might-have-been;
I am also call’d No-more, Too-late, Farewell — Dante Gabriel Rossetti, (The House of Life: 97. A Superscription, 1-2)


Not as she is, but as she fills his dream — Christina Rossetti, In An Artist’s Studio


The term ‘Pre-Raphaelite’ is in danger of becoming one of the most misused tags in art history — Christopher Wood, Author of The Pre-Raphaelites


Available at the following galleries:
Redbubble
Crated
Zazzle US
Zazzle UK
Fine Art America [14 fulfillment centers in 5 countries]
Saatchi Art

Take care and keep laughing!

Sarah

22 thoughts on “First Night Design | Pre-Raphaelite Beauty #Art

  1. I know why you felt it would be very suited for a pre-Raphaelite painting look. It’s gorgeous but yes, it’s weird to think that sometimes we can be more conservative than the classics…

    Liked by 1 person

  2. I adore your treatment of this photo. You have taken an original (and quite touching) nude, and turned it into a work of artistic merit. The styles and colours work so well, I would happily believe that it was an original Pre-Raphaelite piece.
    Best wishes, Pete. x

    Liked by 1 person

  3. I adore that picture Sarah and honestly not just for the bare boobies though they didn’t make me like it less. It’s a perfect pre-Raphelite picture.
    You’re an amazing woman.
    xxx Ginormous Hugs xxx

    Liked by 1 person

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