Episode list

Starving Victorian artists call themselves the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood secure the modeling services of Lizzie Siddal with her long auburn tresses and another redhead, barmaid Annie Miller to be their muses and launch careers.

With only Ruskin giving them a favourable newspaper review the Brotherhood continue painting, Rossetti and Millais clashing professionally and emotionally over Lizzie. Millais paints her as the drowning Ophelia , lying in a cold bath and she almost dies of hypothermia. When her father bans her from further modelling, Millais is concerned for his work but Rossetti is concerned for Lizzie, and bribes Mr. Siddal, with money Millais gets from Ruskin, to allow her to continue. Annie Miller gives an appreciative Hunt more sexual lessons but Ruskin still fails to consummate his marriage to a frustrated Effie. 'Ophelia' is hugely praised and Millais becomes a member of the Royal Academy. Ruskin insists he use Effie as his next model.

Millais is puzzled when Effie suggests her husband wants him to do more with her than paint her. However Annie correctly guesses that Ruskin wants Millais to have sex with her so that he can name him in divorce proceedings so Rossetti persuades Effie to sue Ruskin first for non-consummation of the marriage. Milais and Effie are falling in love and end up in bed, planning to wed. Hunt sets out for a painting trip in the Holy Land, promising to marry Annie on his return but Lizzie is annoyed that Rossetti has no plans for their future. Rossetti sneakily flatters Ruskin in order to gain the patronage he once gave to Millais.

Whilst Hunt is in Syria, getting stoned and painting 'The Scapegoat', Fred is charged to keep Annie away from other men. But he falls into the river whilst taking her punting and has to take his clothes off, giving her the opportunity to do the same and seduce him. Hunt is - initially - none the wiser on return but breaks off his engagenent to Annie because she will not do as he asks and gives up her elocution lessons. She takes up with wealthy Lord Rosterley, a celebrated womanizer, and refuses Hunt's pleas to return to him. Lizzie and Rossetti have more luck,getting engaged, and Ruskin acting as patron to both. He is impressed by Lizzie's drawings and paintings, which he buys, and gets Rossetti a teaching post and a commission to paint a mural. Millais, now married to Effie, and a commercial success, shows his friends his sketch for 'Bubbles', which they greet with hoots of derision.

Ruskin is annoyed that Lizzie - frequently taking laudanum - and Rossetti are squandering his advance on wild parties and moves Lizzie's studio into his house. Effie warns her not to allow Ruskin to dominate her but she holds her own conversing with him and his mother. Rossetti takes up with buxom working girl Fanny Cornforth, using her as his next model. He is pursued by two of his students, would-be artists Burne-Jones and Morris ,and eventually admits them to the Brotherhood after they have saved his church mural from fading. Excess laudanum makes Lizzie ill but Rossetti fulfils his pledge to marry her on her recovery. However, minutes after the ceremony he is setting lustful eyes on Morris' fiancee Jane.

The Rossettis return from honeymoon to a proposal from Millais: to preserve the Brotherhood they should all move into his house. Lizzie suffers a series of heartbreaks and returns to an old vice.