The Pre-Raphaelites in 19th Century Hastings

St Clements

Whilst in my arty mood, I thought today I'd look at the fascination some of the members of the 'Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood', and their friends and families, had for Hastings and its environs in the 19th century. In particular, I'll discuss Dante Gabriel Rossetti (1828-82) and his model, lover, muse and wife, Lizzie Siddal (1829-62), their time together in the High Street, and their marriage at St Clements Church. 

I shall also discuss other members of the Rossetti family, and a group of artists, including the 2 other Pre-Raphaelite founders, William Holman Hunt (1827-1910) and John Everett Millais (1806-73), and Edward Lear (1812-88), perhaps better known for his other artistic leaning that uses words.  

5 High Street

There is a blue plaque at number 5 in the High Street that refers to Lizzie's visit to Hastings in 1854 (for health reasons, though the plaque doesn't say this of course), and to Rossetti. However, this wasn't her first visit, having previously stayed at number 5 for health reasons in 1852 as well. Gabriel joined her in Hastings after attending his father's funeral. He too had visited before, though, with his family, when he was 8 years old in 1836, having stayed a few doors further down the High Street.   

Rossetti's sketch of Lizzie

Lizzie had become an accomplished artist under Gabriel's tutorship, and received a stipend from John Ruskin, who favoured and supported her work. Whilst in Hastings, Gabriel drew many sketches of Lizzie; a well known pen & ink drawing of her, by an upstairs window at number 5, is now in the Victoria & Albert Museum, South Kensington, London. 

When Gabriel came down in 1860 and proposed to Lizzie, who was already in Hastings at number 5, again convalescing, they moved to lodgings next door to the Cutter pub, at number 12 East Parade. The husband and daughter of their new landlady, Alfred and Jane Chatfield, were the witnesses at the couple's wedding.   

81 High Street

Years later, Gabriel's sister, the poet Christina Rossetti (1830-94), who had already visited with the Rossetti family in 1836 too, rented an apartment at 81 High Street, for the winter and spring of 1864-65. She returned again in 1873, staying at Robertson Terrace, the address and its neighbouring buildings now occupied by Debenhams. 

Christina was very fond of Hastings and wrote a short novel based in the town, 'The Waves of this Troublesome World: a Tale of Hastings Ten Years Ago' (1867). She wrote poetry whilst in the town on both later visits, and declared Hastings to be "almost my favourite spot in England." 

Cayley's rather overgrown grave

Christina's good friend, who is now buried in Hastings Cemetery, Charles Bagot Cayley (1823-83), had asked her to marry him, but she refused as he was an agnostic, and she a catholic. She wrote a poem about Cayley called 'The Wombat', which was a nickname he received from Gabriel (who had quite a thing about wombats, note the self-portrait below where he mourns the loss of 'Top' one of two wombats he owned, amongst other exotic animals!), and she also wrote 'One Seaside Grave' about the grave of Cayley.  

Rossetti's self-portrait mourning 'Top'

That is enough of the Rossettis for now, and so I move on to the artistic trio of Holman-Hunt, Millais and Lear. Hunt had heard of Hastings through one of his pupils, Robert Martineau, whose parents lived up at Fairlight Lodge. In 1852 Martineau introduced Hunt to Edward Lear, who was already self-taught as an artist, but who wished to improve his technique by learning from Hunt. 

Fairlight Lodge

Hunt had just obtained a commission for a painting, and decided to paint near Fairlight, in addition, tutoring Lear whilst down here, who had found them lodgings at Clive Vale Farm. They stayed at the farm for the summer and autumn of 1852, receiving regular visits from other artists whilst there, including from Millais. When Millais  and Hunt visited in later years they stayed at Fairlight Lodge.  

Our English Coasts aka Strayed Sheep

Hunt's commissioned painting, 'Our English Coasts', later known as 'Strayed Sheep', (1852) looks across Fairlight Glen westwards towards Hastings, and is now at the Tate Gallery, Millbank. Hunt also painted 'Fairlight Downs, Sunlight on the Sea', although he didn't complete this painting until he returned to Fairlight Lodge with Millais in 1858; this painting is now in Andrew Lloyd Webber's private collection.  

The School-Girl's Hymn

Whilst staying in the area, Hunt also painted the delightful 'The School-Girl's Hymn' in 1859, the model being Miriam Wilkinson, the daughter of a Hastings labourer; this can be seen at the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford.   

Lear returned to Clive Vale Farm in September 1861, following the death of his sister, and having completed a commissioned painting in Florence. He describes making regular walks to Hastings in his diaries, having made friends here. Clive Vale Farm was sold in March 1862, and became a housing development, which is now part of Hastings.  

Many thanks to relevant owners for images shown that are not my own. This is a re-written, slightly extended, article that I originally penned last year.