Radical Victorians

 Regular readers will know that I have a bit of a thing for the Pre-Raphaelite painters. As I don't have the bank balance of Lord Lloyd Webber, who has a notable collection, I have to get my fix visiting galleries and exhibitions. And the place to go has always been Birmingham, as the museum there has a fabulous collection. 

That collection is the basis for an exhibition that has been running most of the year and will be on until Xmas - Victorian Radicals.

 The Pre-Raphaelites had a distinctive style - brightly coloured painting told stories - from the Bible, from legends and from literature. It appeals to my love of story and drama. I've wanted to visit this exhibition for months but health issues have interfered, but on Thursday I finally made it. It was well worth it. Fabulous paintings, but not just them - the art movement gave rise to the Arts and Crafts movement - with the same artists designing or inspiring household items - everything from textiles to glassware. The exhibition had many examples on display. I was a happy bunny - this was a fun day out but it was also RESEARCH. The Arts and Crafts house I am creating for the WIP would have been built and fitted out around the time all these items were being created. As the country home of a wealthy man who would have wanted the most up to date furniture and fittings, many of these things will still be there when my contemporary heroine inherits the house.  With my memories of studying the exhibits and the very expensive catalogue - which is absolutely gorgeous - I am going to have so much fun selecting items. When I have had the chance to study the book and make some choices I'm sure I will be posting again about the exhibition. In the meantime, I do have a few pictures. 

You can't really see it clearly, but the painting on the wall - of a young Jesus in the Temple
was one I remember from Sunday School. 

An unfinished painting of Jane Morris by Rossetti 

I think this marble sculpture was commissioned by Gladstone.
More background research needed. 

Sorry about the glare from the flash. This is a late scene from Shakespeare's Two Gentlemen of Verona.
I've had a copy of a postcard of it for ages. You can see the level of detail and the wonderful colours. 

Secondary Tropes?

 Tropes seem to be a big thing in the romance writing world at the moment - enemies to lovers, fake relationship, grumpy/sunshine - you can fill in the list. 

It has occurred to me during my recent reading that while these might be the main tropes - the headline acts as it were, there are other supporting 'tropes' that feature in the action. Including, but not exhaustively:-

 A controlling and interfering ex

A protagonist who likes to cook with a love interest who can burn boiling water

Extended family, as demonstrated by the Sunday lunch. This can be a hostile affair or a lovefest of homely togetherness and warmth,

Houses and gardens as 'characters' in the action

Evocative locations = bakeries, libraries, universities, bookshops,

Animals - I've read a few lately with working or service dogs, but also with animal familiars, I have wide reading tastes. 

The power of scent. Clothing, bed linen, or just general smell. 

I'm sure you can add a few. I'm still collecting them. 

While those headline tropes define the book these are the ones that give it substance and help create a world you want to inhabit for a few hours or even longer.