Though he was never a formal member of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, English painter and illustrator Arthur Hughes was part of their circle and distinctly influenced by the Pre-Raphaelite style and subject matter.
Younger than the established Pre-Raphaelite painters, Hughes was first attracted to their movement by a magazine they published for short time called The Germ.
Hughes didn’t fare well with the Royal Academy, arbiter of artistic value in England at the time, but he was welcomed by the Pre-Raphaelites, attended their meetings, and became friends with several of the seminal figures, Millais in particular.
In addition to the familiar Pre-Rahaelite subjects from Shakespeare, Authurian legend, other literature and history, he painted portraits and scenes of ordinary life.
Hughes was particularly known for his paintings of lovers that were meditations on the fleeting nature of beauty, love and youth.
