Artwork of the Pre-Raphaelite Era has often evoked the senses with their depictions of fabric textures and vibrant colours, of flowers and fragrances. However, the viewer’s interaction with these ideas has, till now, not gone beyond the visual. This Winter, Dr Christina Broadstreet’s exhibition ‘Scent and the Pre-Raphaelites’ invites us to push this single dimension of the viewer’s visual interaction, connecting us to a selection of artwork through the exploration of smell.

I was fortunate to be invited to a press tour of the exhibition, which included an introductory talk from the curator herself. Dr Broadstreet delved into some of the major themes of her research into the relationship between scent and artwork, highlighting how – during the late 1800s – smell was imbued with multiple meanings. We see these span across the exhibition through the progression of three sections: ‘All Smell is Disease’, ‘Spring Awakenings’ and ‘Bells and Smells’.

All Smell is Disease

The viewer is pulled through this first section by the mix of large paintings in ornate frames, depicting ethereal goddess figures such as Medea or Proserpine from Greek Mythology. These portrayals of alluring women – the seductive dangers of their toxic love potions and drug-like scents – work alongside slightly smaller, more brooding paintings of the physically and morally polluted condition of London, referring to both London Fog by Anna Alma Tadema and Thoughts of the Past by John Roddam Spencer Stanhope. These depict Victorian fears surrounding the biological dangers of smell; the belief in the ‘miasma’, and idea that smell could cause illness and disease.

 

I loved how the vivid pigments brought an ambience of warmth to the whole piece

 

Spring Awakenings

However, it is the bright lemon green feature wall that then draws us into the central section of the exhibition – ‘Spring Awakenings’. This section provides a contrasting interpretation of smell compared to the first, instead focusing on the uplifting experience of being in spring fields and surrounded by blossoming flowers. We are almost overcome with a sense of invigorating transformation, as if these spring scents give us a pathway to a higher power – especially with the depiction of the Goddess Persephone in Gentle Spring. This section also held one of my favourite paintings of the exhibition- The Blind Girl by John Everett Millais. I loved how the vivid pigments brought an ambience of warmth to the whole piece. This especially elevating the lady’s peace and gratitude towards her senses of touch and smell, while sat with an accordion and a child in her lap, amongst earthy, green pastures.

Bells and Smells

Finally, Dr Broadstreet bridges into the closing section of the exhibition with the watercolour painting of The Lover’s World by Eleanor Fortescue-Brickdale. We are presented with allusions to both spring and religious mysticism through the combination of a woman amidst flying birds and a meadow of flowers, and small faery-like figures gliding around with incense burning pots. This religious aspect continues through Solomon’s watercolour and pencil piece ‘A Saint of the Eastern Church’ – a thought-provoking and, during its time, controversial piece that comments on the illegality of homosexuality within the Catholic Church during the 1800s.

The Power of Smell

It is at this point the viewer now encounters, perhaps, one of the main highlights of the exhibition: the interactive scent station. With the press of each button, using AirParfum technology we are given a glimpse of the smells of incense, petrichor (the smell after rain, of fresh damp flowers), and woven cloth, bringing some of the key paintings – ‘The Blind Girl’ and ‘A Saint of the Eastern Church’ – to life.
Personally, I was overcome with the immersive impact of these few seconds of fragrance. With these heavy yet comforting scents settling in your chest, felt as if the paintings’ subjects were emerging into your lived reality. Gazing upon the paintings anew then gave an especially deeper sense of empathy with the painted subjects: a sense of being able to situate yourself more vividly within the painting’s scene, beyond the visual ability of our mere eyes.

Overall, the blending of the senses, and introduction of smell, to the interpretation of art provided for a deeply meaningful viewer experience. Dr Christina Broadstreet’s exhibition not only makes us appreciate the complex, multiple meanings of scent in the Pre-Raphaelite world, but the value of our senses today. Smell is a scent often forgotten about, but whether in art or daily life, we are here encouraged to realise its key part in our multi-dimensional lives.

 

I was overcome with the immersive impact of these few seconds of fragrance

 

Alongside curating this exhibition, Dr Christina Broadstreet has also written five accompanying essays. Alternatively, you could also devolve into her published book Scented Visions: Smell in Art 1850-1914.

‘Scent and the Pre-Raphaelites’ by Dr Christina Bradstreet is at The University of Birmingham’s Barber Institute of Fine Arts till January 25th 2025.

Rating: 4/5 

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