The Nazarenes

Although predominantly made up of German artists, the foundations of the Nazarene movement were effectively laid in Austria, where, in 1809, six students at the Viennese Academy of Fine Arts got together to found the Brotherhood of St Luke, inspired by medieval artists' guilds of the same name. The following year four of them headed off to Rome, where they grew long beards, wore 'biblical' clothing, and took up residence in San Isidoro, an abandoned monastery. 

Initially the term 'Nazarene' was a nickname mocking their affectations, but they soon adopted it for themselves, as it matched their aims and aspirations. Like so many artists in the 19th century, they objected to the strictures and formality of their academic training. In their case, specifically, they wanted to break away from the predominant Neo-Classical style. Their aim was to return to the honesty, and spirituality of medieval art. If this sounds in any way familiar, they were one of the major inspirations for the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, who likewise turned against their training at the Royal Academy in London, having been inspired by the perceived lack of sophistication of artists before Raphael. 

As well as looking at founder members of the movement, including Johann Friedrich Overbeck and Franz Pforr, we will consider other artists who joined them in Rome, such as Julius Schnor von Carolsfeld (one of the few represented in the National Gallery in London), and others associated with the movement, such as Marie Ellenrieder - who painted the 'title image' for this talk, bought for the Royal Collection by Queen Victoria in 1848.