The PRB was an idealistic, initially youthful artistic movement in England during the late nineteenth century, proclaiming an adherence to principles of an ultra-realistic depiction of nature in painting, although the subjects chosen were often mythical or romantic (King Arthur, Ophelia).

Chief among the members of the group were:

Rossetti was also a poet, as was his sister Christina, though it is the latter whose poetry is better and more fondly remembered.