Desperately Romantic

If, like me, you love romantic sumptuous furnishings, beautiful paintings and gorgeous actors and actresses, you would love the BBC 2 production, "Desperate Romantics". The last two episodes will be screened on the ABC (Australia) this Sunday 20th March. The interiors of Pre-Raphaelite painter Dante Gabriel Rossetti's studio could be loosely described as rough luxe meets bohemia. Unfortunately, I was unable to find very many images of the interiors on the web, but these stills from the series may whet your appetite. This is Rossetti and his model, Lizzie Siddall:

The members of the the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood - John Everett Millais, Rossetti and William Holman Hunt. Second from the left is a fictional character, Fred:

The series is set in 1851 and explores the lives and loves of the artists:

Hunt and Rossetti in the studio with model Annie Miller:

The artists in a tavern:

The actresses resemble the women used as models by the Brotherhood, with their long, thick, wavy red hair:

One of the most interesting aspects for me is the depiction of the artists recreating some of their best-known paintings. In this case, Millais is painting "Ophelia":

With Lizzie as his model:

Here is the real thing:

While the series has been condemned by some critics for being a type of "Carry On" film for its many sex scenes, and for what some see as the dumbing down of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, it certainly is lovely to look at.

Images courtesy of the official BBC2 "Desperate Romantics" website and "La Maison de Vie" website