John Brett (artist)

John Brett ARA (8 December 1831 – 7 January 1902) was a British artist associated with the Pre-Raphaelite movement, mainly notable for his highly detailed landscapes.

In 1853 he entered the Royal Academy Schools, but was more interested in the ideas of John Ruskin and William Holman Hunt, whom he met through his friend the poet Coventry Patmore.

This depicted a youth smashing stones to create a road-surface, sitting in a brightly lit and brilliantly detailed landscape.

He was always keen to stress the scientific precision of his rendering of nature, but often infused it with moral and religious significance, as recommended by Ruskin.

[4] During summers in the 1880s Brett rented the castle at Newport, Pembrokeshire to use as a base for his large family while he painted, sketched and photographed the south and west coasts of Wales.