Sam Selsky's Blog Post: Victorian Culture in Contemporary Body Art

Building off of my contribution of a Rossetti tattoo in our class discussion of Pre-Raphaelite influence on today’s culture, I decided to do more research. Upon looking for Pre-Raphaelite tattoos, I discovered that there was a large subculture of Victorian modes in body art. Several of these tattoos feature Rossetti-esque aesthetic women. Most have long flowing red hair with thick lips and dramatic eyes. The tattoos I found also include an abundance of flowers or jewelry, both widely used in Rossetti’s aesthetic paintings. I find this exceptionally interesting because Pre-Raphaelite paintings are so notoriously detailed. Tattoos can be detailed, but a balance must be achieved between detail and size so the tattoo ages well and maintains its integrity. I also found it interesting how often the Rossetti aesthetic is used, compared to the art of the other Pre- Raphaelite painters. In my research, I could only find body art of Rossetti’s portraits. I believe that this may be because Rossetti had developed such a strong female type for his paintings, so viewers of the tattoo would still be able to recognize that the tattoo was Pre-Raphaelite without having to know the exact painting. I found my images on blogs and Pinterest boards, both used to express a form of self-representation. Even though I do not have any tattoos myself, I am quite intrigued by them. I think the stories that lie behind the tattoos are often very heartfelt and genuine. It is such a large commitment to have something permanently tattooed on your body. I admire the people with the decisiveness and bravery to make that commitment.

Image Sources:

o   http://www.thelaughingmedusa.com/2014/01/07/tattoo-talk-an-interview-with-alice-snape-editor-of-thingsink/

o   http://www.lastsparrowtattoo.com/gallery/traditional-tattoos/13103-pre-raphaelite-inspired-lady.html