PAINTED LADIES

nd for my next YouTube tutorial… With rosy cheeks and tumbling hair, this season’s models could have been Pre-Raphaelite muses. Stylist investigates the movement’s enduring look

WORDS: SHANNON PETER ART: OPENING PAGE: LADY LILITH BY DANTE GABRIEL ROSSETTI 1866-68 VIA GETTY IMAGES THIS PAGE: STUDY OF FANNY EATON BY JOANNA WELLS, 1861. YALE CENTER FOR BRITISH ART, PAUL MELLON FUND, COURTESY OF NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY artist’s backstage moodboard. spotted aRossettiorHuntonmake-up I’ve lostcountofthenumbertimes passionately kissedlipsatPorts 1961.And couture show. Back in2017,itwaspink, atop ruffledtullecreationsatViktor &Rolf’s Rodarte andthelongfluffyhairthatbounced Last season,itwasthetumblingcurlsat references tothePre-Raphaelite movement. five years,andyou’llfindmultiplescribbled shows inallfourfashioncapitalsoverthepast accompanied mebackstage at hundredsof theonethathas Smythson notebook, all. Leaf throughmy(extremely dog-eared) wasn’t exclusive tothisseason’s showsat again onthea/w2019catwalks. motifs thatwererepeatedtimeand between matteandglowy–preciselythe bitten lipsandskinthatstraddledtheline pictured withflushed,blood-dappledcheeks, lengths, thesemodelswerecommonly and puffed withnaturalfuzzthroughthe hair thatfrothedinahaloaroundtheirheads muses attheheartofmovement. Pre-Raphaelite women–themodelsand At thecentreofthesepaintings?The contemporary poetryandliteraturetolife. of doomedloveandprematuredeathin nature tobringthe(ohsocheerful) stories and insteadfocusedonpaintingdirectlyfrom Holman Hunt,deemedthisstyle‘artificial’ Rossetti, JohnEverettMillaisandWilliam famous membersincludedDanteGabriel Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood,whosemost with RenaissancepainterslikeRaphael.The traditional artestablishmentanditsobsession 1848 withashareddesiretorebelagainstthe were asocietyofartistsandpoetsformedin Pre-Raphaelite movement. biggest beautymuses?The womenofthe sat coylyontemplesatPreen. This season’s at Chanelandinthesolitarycircularcurlthat Lim, inthelow-slungraspberry-tonedblush everywhere: inthefluffofhairat3.1Phillip waves.Infact,itcroppedup S-shaped models’ nipple-grazinghairintoloose 19th-century artworksashecoercedthe Sam McKnight spokefervently about It cameupagainatHalpern,wherehairstylist the aesthetichas seeminglyinspiredthe and part oftheirvirtual beautymoodboards, regularly sharePre-Raphaelite paintingsas @GucciBeauty and@TheHairHistorian that sayso.OnInstagram,accounts such as underway anditisn’tjustthebackstage trends The Pre-Raphaelite beauty revivaliswell Eternal muses And yet.Itdawnsonmethatthistheme Characterised bytheirlong(oftenauburn) For theuninitiated,Pre-Raphaelites backstage. models’ heads on topofthe around bounced frothed-up curls where wispy, a/w 2019show, de laRenta’s it atOscar first noticed

Pre-Raphaelite Sisters Pre-Raphaelite that thisfresh-faced glowisthemakingof than lacquered,there’s adefinitesuggestion in thecoldandlipsthatappearmore licked look asthoughthey’veenduredabrisk walk Pre-Raphaelite paintings.With cheeks that for thenaturalbeautycelebratedin the such ascontouringandbaking,we’reyearning make-uptrends of morestructured,laboured we’re hunguponthePre-Raphaelites? culture wehaveatournostalgicdisposal,that the thousandsofyears’worthpopular National Portrait Gallery’s newexhibition, who inspiredit–issettobecelebratedatthe movement –andmorespecificallythewomen Welch toKaren Elson.InOctober, theartistic looks ofmanycelebrities,fromFlorence MAIN PRE-RAPHAELITE MUSES PRE-RAPHAELITE MAIN FANNY EATON OFTHE WAS ONE OSCAR A/W2019 DELARENTA ROMANTIC, ROSY AT LOCKS Some theoriessuggestthat,inthewake Some . So whyisit,despite . So GLOWY SKIN AND PAINTERLY AND SKIN GLOWY CURLS AT PREEN A/W2019 ATCURLS PREEN

extreme racialprejudiceofthe era. beauty –anotablecommentconsideringthe Rossetti praisedEatonforherunprecedented Guido Palau, Redkenglobalhairambassador because itsignifiesyouthandhealth,”explains “That hairlookisconstantlyreferenced with theburgeoningnaturalhairmovement. with thePre-Raphaelite periodfeels intandem but itisnotablethatthereignitedobsession as aDysonSupersonic,letaloneGHDs, in the19thcenturytherewasnosuch thing founder of@TheHairHistorian. Ofcourse, from themovement,”saysRachael Gibson, probably themosticonicbeautytakeaway worn withethereal,wispynaturaltexture is of usprefer today. with thepared-back make-upapproach many intervention, which feels verymuch inkeeping some organicforceratherthancosmetic a rebuttalofsociety’s definition The Pre-Raphaelites presented the pillowy, button-shaped ideal. angular nosesthatwerefarfrom Fanny Cornforth,hadstrongfeatures and those withredhair.” Othermodels,such as were thoughttocarrycurses usually was consideredincrediblyugly. Those who explains Marsh.“Siddalhadred hairandthat conventionally beautifulinreallife atall,” and ElizabethSiddal,werenotconsidered “Two ofthemajormodels,JaneMorris it wasn’tnecessarilyfashionableatthetime. with awistful,poeticadmiration,interestingly, While wemight lookback onthisaesthetic Breaking the mould Rebecca Soloman’s caring fortwowhiteBritishchildren in roles, fromthemotherofMosestoananny considered appropriatetodepictnumerous afro hairandskintonewas(questionably) and wasverymuch indemand.”Eaton’s her painters,butshewasmodellingfordecades romanticism orsexualisation betweenherand upcoming exhibition. “There wasnoneofthe curator oftheNationalPortrait Gallery’s those ofthepainters,”explains JanMarsh, because herlife storydidn’tintertwinewith in the1860s.“Shenevergetsmuch credit afro hairwhosatfornumerousyoungartists Eaton, aJamaicanwomanwithchin-length lesser-known modelsofthetimewasFanny a signaturelookoftheperiod.Infact,one as itwouldhavegrownfromthehead. recreations. The hairisthick andfluffy:exactly and thehandsbehindmanyPre-Raphaelite backstage moodboard It’s asimilarstorywithhair. “Long hair, But itisn’tjustflowingredhairthat’s “I’ve lost the count of number timesI’ve of spotted artworks by Rossetti or Hunt on a make-up artist’s at fashion week” The Young Teacher Young The . of beauty which feels innately connected to the anti-perfection Face painting revolution that’s reaching fever pitch It isn’t a complicated look to recreate. “Keep right now. Just look at the Instagram hashtags the base as matte as possible,” recommends #SkinPositivity, #BirthMarksAreBeautiful Get the make-up artist Georgina Graham. Start with and #SideProfileSelfie (celebrating every a mattifying primer like Illamasqua Matte Veil kind of nose) and you’ll find thousands of look Primer, £34, which will take down shine and images praising the very features we’ve If the Pre-Raphaelite muses grip the make-up on top into place. Next, spent years being urged to hate. were around today, these are apply a matte-finish foundation. Urban Decay Other theories suggest that it’s the the products they’d be using Stay Naked Foundation, £29.50, comes determination of the Pre-Raphaelite models in 50 shades and buffs down to an almost and the women they simulated that makes undetectable finish. “Apply foundation using them particularly relevant muses in 2019. BITTEN a Beautyblender sponge that has been “These models and the goddesses, queens and LIPS drenched in moisturiser,” Graham adds. icons they portrayed were strong, powerful Revlon Kiss “It will give the most flawless matte base women, making for very captivating catwalk Cushion Lip Tint but still make skin look alive.” muses,” explains Gibson. Strength was in Crimson For that signature Pre-Raphaelite flush, a necessity for the models. Not only could the Feels, £7.99 “apply cream blush high over the very front modelling be physically taxing, requiring women of the cheek,” suggests Taylor. Imagine to maintain uncomfortable poses for around where your cheeks would naturally flush 50 minutes without breaking character, but after a strenuous weights session – focus they also had to learn to drive a hard bargain the blush here and it’s guaranteed to look when negotiating their fees. Artist Joanna realistic. As for the shade, look for russet or Mary Boyce once wrote about her disdain for berry tones rather than anything too pink, a model who requested two shillings an hour (the POLISHED to mimic the colour of blood rushing to going rate was one shilling an hour), but when SKIN the capillaries. Jillian Dempsey Cheek the model showed up and stated her demands Urban Decay Tint in Rosy, £26.50, is a true blood red, once more, Boyce paid up. Model Alexa Wilding Stay Naked while Westman Atelier Baby Cheeks Blush was even able to negotiate a retainer so that Foundation, Stick in Dou Dou, £46, has the vividness she would remain exclusive to Rossetti. Far £29.50 required for darker skintones. As for the lips, precise, razor-sharp edges are (thankfully) not required here. As painter “These models and Frederic George Stephens wrote about Alexa the goddesses, queens Wilding, the model in Rossetti’s Monna Vanna: FROTHY “Her lips that have been often kissed are HAIR and icons they portrayed cherry-coloured, ripe and full, yet not warmed Bumble and by inner passion nor exalted by rapture or were strong, powerful Bumble Bb contemplation… still less are they chaste Dryspun Texture women, making and untasted.” In make-up terms, the easiest Spray, £22 for very captivating route to recreation is through a matte lip stain. Revlon Kiss Cushion Lip Tint in Crimson catwalk muses” Feels, £7.99, comes infused with coconut oil to hydrate, but dries down to a diffused from passive references for the artists to work finish. To make lips appear slightly swollen: from, Marsh is adamant the Pre-Raphaelite “Try a lip pencil in a darker shade in the women were just as much part of the creative R O S Y centre of the lips for a more intense, romantic process as the artists themselves. In her FLUSH mood,” says Taylor. Mac Lip Pencils, £15 exhibition book, she writes that we’d be Westman each, barely budge. Just scribble on and “mistaken to ignore the women’s agency and Atelier Baby blot with your ring finger to disperse. present the female presence as the aesthetic Cheeks Blush equivalent of the bowl of fruit or flowers”. Stick in Dou And the female contributions didn’t Crowning glory Dou, £46 stop at modelling. “In most histories, women Hair-wise, anything that clamps down appear slightly absent from Pre-Raphaelitism, flyaways or irons over any level of frizz except as subjects or models-turned-muses,” is a no-go, according to hairstylist Daniel Marsh says. In reality, there were numerous Martin. “Whatever your hair texture, let hair female artists in the movement. “I think we makes these women more than worthy of dry naturally with some salt spray, but avoid could identify a dozen artists who attached being our modern-day beauty muses. anything with too much oil or anything that themselves to [the society], were inspired Make-up artist and Chanel beauty gives too much shine,” he says. Bumble and by its principles and aimed for similar artistic ambassador Zoe Taylor also draws links Bumble Bb Thickening Dryspun Texture results. They were considered good artists between the techniques of make-up Spray, £22, will add extra fuzz when your ‘for women’, and although some [male] artists application and portrait painting. “The layers hair is dry. However, if your strands are didn’t like the competition, on the whole, of oil paints are mimicked in the fine layers naturally very straight, Palau recommends they were actually pretty supportive – unlike that make-up artists apply to create deep, intervening with a large-barrel curling iron. a lot of other Victorian male artists.” Even rich colours,” she says. “The result is sensual “Wind the hair around the iron like a roller, so, it was rare for the women’s work to be in the colour application and the feeling of without clamping it down, and pin each acknowledged as on a par with the men’s. modernity.” Where contouring or eyebrow section in the curl formation with a bobby Whatever their role in the art form, defining can feel like strict sculpture, this kind pin to cool,” he says. “Once done, unpin, the Pre-Raphaelite sisters had endless of beauty look is all about using a mixture of run your fingers through and add Redken confidence, skill and talent. It’s this quiet brush strokes and finger-painting to melt Wind Blown Finishing Spray, £13.50, strength, wound up in the luxuriant hair creamy products into the skin – a much more if needed, for extra texture.” Now to

and buffed into the pearlescent skin, that romantic, therapeutic approach to make-up. find someone to paint your portrait… BEAUTY RUNWAY CHAPMAN FOR WILLIAM TOM IMAGES, GETTY PHOTOGRAPHY: