“parallel reality” pre-raphaelite illustrations to tennyson’s “poems”

The article analyses the artistic and cultural meanings of the illustrations created by the Pre-Raphaelites for the texts in Tennyson's “Poems”, published by Edward Moxon in 1857. The origins of artists' interest in the poet's work are revealed. The originality of the figurative world and aesthetic principles of illustrations created by John Everett Millais, William Holman Hunt and Dante Gabriel Rossetti is analyzed. Special attention is paid to Rossetti, the most striking creator of illustrations that have become a “parallel reality” thanks to a deeply personal interpretation of the literary text, metaphorization of the created images. The Pre-Raphaelite illustrations, which caused an aesthetic controversy, are considered as a breakthrough towards a new artistic genre. The result of their artwork is a claiming work of art that has no direct connection with the original figurative ground due to its thematic versatility and symbolism.