Paintings exhibited by members of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood were criticized often for what was perceived as their badly drawn figures and faulty perspective as much as for their jarring colours and morbid subjects. The underlying drawing was perceived to be as much of a problem as the more painterly elements in their pictures. The awkward drawing of the human figures was viewed as wilful; it transgressed the sound and well-established academic conventions derived from the practices of the old masters. One example, from the Quarterly Review – representative of a mass of such criticism – will serve to illustrate this point:

Pre-Raphaelite drawing and academic convention

Knowledge of ߢcorrect drawingߣ was acquired through the process of copying ancient sculptures using laborious hatching, stippling and rubbing techniques. The emphasis at the Royal Academy Schools was upon the acquisition of drawing skills. Students worked towards perfecting their understanding of anatomy, proportion, beauty and ߢthe Idealߣ through drawing. There was virtually no formal training in painting, its methods or materials. We might usefully contrast the experience of Ford Madox Brown who had undergone a thorough academic grounding in Belgium before studying in Paris.