Into the Frame

The Four Loves of Ford Madox Brown

Author: Angela Thirlwell

Madox Brown, who grew up in France and Belgium before he came to England and won fame with paintings like 'The Last of England', was always an outsider, and the women he loved also burst out of stereotypes.

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A vivid account of the public art and private demons of Ford Madox Brown, the finest but least understood of Pre-Raphaelite artists, and the four central women in his life- his two wives and models and his two secret loves.Madox Brown, who grew up in France and Belgium before he came to England and won fame with paintings like 'The Last of England', was always an outsider, and the women he loved also burst out of stereotypes. His two wives, Elisabeth Bromley and Emma Hill, and his secret passions, the artist Marie Spartali and the author Mathilde Blind, were all remarkable personalities, from very different backgrounds.Their striving for self-expression, in an age that sought to suppress them, tells us much more about women's journey towards modern roles. Their lives - full of passion, sexual longing, tragedy and determination - take us from the English countryside and the artist's studio to a Europe in turmoil and revolution. These are not silent muses hidden in the shadow of a 'Master'. They step out of the shadows and into the picture, speaking with voices we can hear and understand.

Critic Reviews

“"Humane and intelligent . . . an up-close, colourfully detailed study of the interweaving lives and passions of a small group of sophisticated Victorians."”

[A] beautifully written, emotionally intelligent and finely detailed account... What impresses is how richly informative is this history of individual lives, about the period as a whole, its culture, and material existence -- Frances Spalding Independent
Thirlwell has written a moving and absorbing book about Victorian marriage, ambition and unrequited love -- Frances Wilson Sunday Times
A humane and intelligent book... an up-close, colourfully detailed study of the interweaving lives and passions of a small group of sophisticated Victorians -- Serena Davies Daily Telegraph
Angela Thirlwell is entirely confortable in the world inhabited by the Pre-Raphaelites, and her earlier study of William Rossetti deserved the plaudits heaped on it. Now she has turned to Ford Madox Brown and once again has proved to be an able scholar who turns meticulous research into a seamless narrative.... An excellent account, lovingly narrated and wise in its judgements -- Trevor Royle Herald
Compulsively readable... Engrossing Times Literary Supplement

About the Author

Angela Thirlwell read English at Oxford and lectured at Birkbeck College, University of London until 1999. Her books include the Folio Anthology of Autobiography (1994), The Pre-Raphaelites and their World (editor, 1995) and William and Lucy- The Other Rossettis (Yale, 2003).

Back Cover

Romantic and illuminating, Into the Frame is a vivid account of the public art and private demons of Ford Madox Brown, the finest but least understood of artists connected to the Pre-Raphaelite movement, and the four central women in his life: his two wives and models, and his two secret loves. Madox Brown, who grew up in France and Belgium before he came to England and won fame with paintings like The Last of England , was always an outsider, and the women he loved also burst out of stereotypes. His two wives, Elisabeth Bromley and Emma Hill, and his secret passions, the artist Marie Spartali and the author Mathilde Blind, were all remarkable personalities, from very different backgrounds. Their striving for self-expression, in an age that sought to suppress them, tells us much about women's journey towards modern roles. Their lives - full of passion, sexual longing, tragedy and determination - take us from the English countryside and the artist's studio to a Europe in turmoil and revolution. These are not silent muses hidden in the shadow of the 'Master'. They step out of the shadows and into the picture, speaking with voices we can hear and understand. 'An excellent account, lovingly narrated and wise in its judgments.' Herald 'A moving and absorbing book about Victorian marriage, ambition and unrequited love' Sunday Times 'Fascinating.' Daily Express 'Thirlwell writes with great thoughtfulness and insight.' Economist 'A beautifully written, emotionally intelligent and finely detailed account... Richly informative.' Independent