In this episode, Ruth explores the history of British portraits from the perspective of the artist’s muse, with particular focus on portraits created by the Pre-Raphaelite brotherhood. Speaking to Art and Literature historian, researcher, writer and freelance curator, Hannah Squire, this episode delves into the relationships that models have held with the artists who immortalised them, exposes the influential and active part they have played and deconstructs reductive stereotypes, reframing the muse as a momentous and empowered agent of art history.

Listen to the episode here:

Podcast Host: Ruth Millington

Ruth Millington is a Birmingham-based art consultant and curator with extensive experience of developing exhibitions, managing artists and their estates, advising on the acquisition and commissioning of artworks, and writing about culture.

She is the author of MUSE (Penguin, 2022) which uncovers the true stories of 30 muses, from Dora Maar and Elizabeth Siddal to George Dyer and Peter Schlesinger. Ruth’s first children’s book, This Book Will Make You An Artist (Nosy Crow, 2023), invites children to take creative inspiration from great artists of the past.

Ruth writes about the visual arts for publications including TIME, The Independent, The Telegraph, Dazed and Art UK. She has also been featured on TV and radio including Sky Arts, the BBC, C4, ITV and TRT World. Most recently, she presented a documentary on the radical history of collage art, ‘Painting with Scissors’ for BBC Radio 4.

Hannah Squire is an Art and Literature historian, researcher, writer and freelance curator. Hannah previously worked as an Assistant Curator, National Public Programmes at the National Trust, working on national campaigns to create curatorial content focused on inclusive histories. Before this she worked at Wightwick Manor for over three years, where she led the 2018 Women and Power progamming and the 2017 Prejudice and Pride programming exploring the work of female and queer artists stories in connection with the Manor. As part of this programming, she curated the second only solo exhibition of Elizabeth Eleanor Siddal’s art and poetry, Beyond Ophelia in 2018 and in 2019 co-curated the Look Beneath the Lustre exhibition of Evelyn and William De Morgan’s work, which you can still visit at Wightwick. She also co-hosts the Pre-Raphaelite Society podcast, and co-leads on the Society’s social media, as well as contributing to its journal. Hannah is also co-curator of the exhibition The Rossettis: Siblings and Spouses on display at Wightwick Manor from 7 March to 8 November 2026.

Artworks discussed in this episode:

 

Further links to artworks discussed in this episode:

Found by Dante Gabriel Rossetti, oil on canvas, designed 1853; begun 1869 (unfinished). 92.1 × 81.1 cm. Samuel and Mary R. Bancroft Memorial, 1935. Delaware Art Museum, Accession Number 1935-27. Further details and image here.

Fanny Eaton by Joanna Mary Wells, oil on paper laid to linen, 1861. 17.1 x 13.7 cm. Acquired through the Paul Mellon Fund. Yale Center for British Art, Accession Number B1991.29. Further details and image here.

La Belle Iseult by William Morris, oil on canvas, 1858. 71.8 x 50.2 cm. Bequeathed by Miss May Morris, 1939. Tate Collection, Reference: N04999. Further details and image here.

Blue Silk Dress (Jane Morris) by Dante Gabriel Rossetti, oil on canvas, 1868. 101.5 x 90.2 cm. Acquired as part of the original contents of Kelmscott Manor, 1962. Society of Antiquaries of London: Kelmscott Manor, Accession Number KM 091. Further details and image here.

Sister Helen by Elizabeth Eleanor Siddal, pen and brown ink, over black chalk on paper, 1860. 15 x 13 cm. National Trust, Wightwick Manor, Accession Number 1288022. Further details and image here.