THE PRE-RAPHAELITES
A web quest for upper-intermediate English learners
created by Marta Nowicka
Introduction
Welcome!
Do you know what the Pre-Raphaelites Brotherhood was?
What were the main aims of it?
Why it was created?
Can you list members of it and tell something about them?
What do you know about John Ruskin?
If you know the answer for any of those question- GOOD JOB! This test
will help you to explore your knowledge and give you the opportunity
to present information gained earlier and during taking part in this
web quest.
If you do not know the answers- this test is just perfect for you. You are
going to read about this secret society, and step by step you will be
learning about the history of this artistic movement.
Enjoy !
Task
Your job is to:
 read all the information about the Pre-Raphaelites
 analyse it
 prepare a poster
How to prepare a poster?
You can work alone or in a group up to 3 people.
On a large piece of paper you should list all the main points connected with the
topic of this web quest (you will find them in the Resources bookmark) and
than create mind-mapping which will illustrate the general and more detailed
branches connected with a particular topic. For example, one of your main
points will be ‘members of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood’. You should
draw lines from the main point to each member and then lines from each
member and write useful information about him or her. Your poster should
consist of the most important information which you are supposed to
explore during your presentation.
Process
1.
2.
3.
4.
(I)
Fist of all look how links are grouped (those are your main points).
When exploring a particular group put attention to the main
information you should find. You have also some clues next to
every link (in point 1 and 2). Read them carefully, they can be
very helpful.
Read the first two links in the Resources bookmark. You can use
these web pages in your further evaluation. You can click on any
of blue words to learn more about the particular subject.
Now you are to focus on the things mentioned after every link,
make notes and try to organize them in a way you will use them
(during preparing your poster). You can also make notes for
yourself- about any details you feel you would like to mention
during your presentation.
You don’t have to stick always to the general topic in a particular
point. You can use information which is for example as a resource
in point 1 to explain point 3.
Process
5.
6.
7.
8.
(II)
Look at the related links on the web sites you are visiting- you can
find there some useful information.
Exploring the first point ( the Pre-Raphaelites Brotherhood) try to
find all the important and basic information about the reason of
creating this society, about main rules, differences according to
the artistic style and the most important members.
In the second point (Members and Paintings) you should focus on
the founders of this society. You can also choose other painters,
sculptors or photographers if you want to talk about their works. It
will be enough if you will be able to describe at least one work of a
particular member. You should also focus on the woman’s
members and put attention to presenting ‘Ophelia’ by different
artists.
In last point you should only focus on John Ruskin and his
influences on the Pre-Raphaelites. You should also mention in a
few words about his life and work.
Process
9.
10.
11.
12.
(III)
At the end of your presentation you should also add some general
conclusion and your personal attitude toward the Pre-Raphaelites.
After some links you have word “additional”. It means that it is not
obligatory page for you to read, but if you do it and use
information mentioned there in your presentation, you can get a
higher mark.
Always mark sites which you think are interesting or may be
useful in your further work so that you can quickly find them.
When you have finished your project, look at the Evaluation
bookmark. Check whether all important information is mentioned
and visible on your poster.
Resources

At first read carefully information
on the web page:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Preraphaelites

http://www.victorianweb.org/paint
ing/prb/prbov.html this site and
related links will help you with
evaluation of any chosen subject
Now, focus on those topics:
1. The Pre-Raphaelites Brotherhood:
You should read about the Pre-Raphaelites focusing on their founders,
influences, aims and reasons for creating this society.
 http://painting.about.com/cs/paintinghistory/a/Preraphaelites.htm and
http://painting.about.com/cs/paintinghistory/a/Preraphaelites_2.htm
Focus on: reasons for founding the secret society, list of original members,
sources of inspiration, paintings, why they broke up.
 http://feminism.eserver.org/theory/papers/lilith/prb.html
Focus on: influences
 http://www.artchive.com/artchive/prb.html
Focus on: luminous color, literary influences
 http://www.artlex.com/ArtLex/p/preraphaelite.html
Focus on: additional information to what you have already learnt, look at the
pictures and try to find some characteristic elements, similar for all paintings
2. Members and Paintings
 http://www.libfl.ru/pre-raph/photographers-main.html
Focus on: photographers [additional]
 http://www.anglik.net/waterhouse.htm
Focus on: John William Waterhouse paintings and their topics

http://persephone.cps.unizar.es/General/Gente/SPD/Pre-Raphaelites/PreRaphaelites.html
Focus on: pictures and short, interesting descriptions
 http://www.mindworkshop.com/alchemy/indcnt.html
Focus on: some of the members and their works with description
 http://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/online/pre-Raphaelites/index.asp
When you clink on a chosen painting you can read a description about author
and painting (you do not have to explore all paintings)
 http://images.google.com/images?q=preraphaelite&num=50&hl=en&hs=RSW&lr=&client=firefoxa&rls=org.mozilla:pl-PL:official_s&sa=N&tab=ii&oi=imagest
You can watch some of the Pre-Raphaelites paintings [additional]
 http://www.scholars.nus.edu.sg/landow/victorian/painting/gallery/fairlady1.ht
ml
Focus on: paintings of women, explore in what way the Pre-Raphaelites
showed women on their paintings
 http://www.theartnewspaper.com/artcritic/level1/reviewarchive/1998/jan_7_1
998_main.html
Focus on: women paintings- problems
 http://www.wiliqueen.com/ophelia/preraphaelite.html
Focus on: Ophelia
3. Ruskin
 http://www.visitcumbria.com/ruskin.htm
 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/depts/ruskin/jr.htm
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Ruskin
 http://muff.uffs.net/skola/dejum/ruskin/ruskin.php
 http://www.victorianstation.com/authorruskin.htm
 http://www.victorianweb.org/painting/whh/replete/ruskin.h
tml
Evaluation
Begining
Below Average
Average
Above Average
Excellent
main reasons for
creating the
brotherhood, aims,
main dates, listed one
source of inspiration
Dates, reasons for
create the brotherhood
and the main aims,
some differences
(comparing to the
previous artistic style),
the most important
members and founders
listed, listed two
sources of inspiration
Detailed description of
the Pre-Raphaelities
and their society,
resons for creating
brotherhood, all
important dates,
sources of
inspiration(with some
exaples), what did they
paint, why did they
break up
Very detailed
description of
brotherhool, aims,
dates and influences ,
sources of inspirations
with exaples to every
source, why did they
break up and short
analysis of the
importance of their
brotherhood
members, dates, style
and techniques listed,
some works of artist
mentioned and at least
one women artist
creators and artists
close connected with
this style, dates,
optionally short
biography, most
important works
describe up to 4
paintings (including
one female artist),
information about
"Ophelia"
artist devided into
painters, drawers and
sculptors, dates of
birth and death, short
biography, the most
important works,
additional influences,
females artists,
techniques uded,
present at least 5
artists
Information about the
Pre- Raphaelities
worth 20%
Short desription, main
dates, founders
Information about the
members and their
paintings
worth 30%
listed the creators and
most famous members
(I)
listed creators, most
famous members,
dates given and written
most fomous work of
each founders (one
work)
John Ruskin
worth 10 %
short biography
short biography and
shown a connection
between him and PreRaphaelites
biography and listed
connections and
influences between him
and Pre-Raphaelites
biogrpahy, connection
and explored influences
on Pre-Raphaelites
biography, his
connections with the PreRaphaelites,
information about
other movement and
Ruskins' career as a
critic, his influence on
the movement
Evaluation
Begining
The way of presenting
the material;
preparation of the
poster (clear, only the
most important
information
mantioned)
worth 25%
student is reading
information which are
on the poster, poster is
not prepared according
to the directives,
presentation is not
organised
Below Average
student is reading, he
bases on the poster
and his notes, the
poster includes main
points, but they aren't
well-evalueted, the
presentation is a little
chaotic
Average
student is speaking,
but he is looking at his
notes, poster is wellprepared, but there are
some faults, the
presentation is wellorganised, but student
has some problems
with delivering his
speech
(II)
Above Average
Excellent
student is speaking
looking at the poster,
poster is wellorganised, the way of
presenting his
knowledge is good and
well- organised
the speech is wellorganised, there aren't
any weak points of the
poster, student is wellprepared and he/she
can answer to the
questions
presentation is
summarized, there is a
conclusion and
personal attitude
toward the
Brotherhood
presentation is wellsumarised, the main
conclusion are written
on the poster,
described reasons why
the person
likes/doesn't like the
Pre-Raphaelites
movement and general
comments about works
(paintings etc.)
Conclusion
worth 15 %
short sum up without
pointed conclusion
briefly sum-up with a
conclusion, but not
very clear
summarized main
points of the
presentation, there is a
conclusion
If for one element of your mark you will get 0% you have to prepare this element
once again to pass.
Presentation shouldn't last longer than 20 minutes.
Conclusion
 Please came back to the
Introduction bookmark and check
whether you can answer all the
questions now? Well, I’m sure you
can.
 During preparing this task you
have gained the basic knowledge
about the Pre-Raphaelites, you
have also learnt how to present
your knowledge using poster
technique and you had an
opportunity to present it in front of
the class. You have also learnt to
find the most important
information, and reject those which
you do not need.