Anna Mary Howitt: Pre-Raphaelite, Spiritualist, Psychologist

This livestream talk traces the evolution of Anna Mary Howitt Watts' artistic practice, from her days as a Pre-Raphaelite working alongside Dante Gabriel Rossetti to her initiation as a Spiritualist medium who cultivated a new practice, that of 'spirit drawing'.

Where does art originate: from the eye, the hand, the spirit or the mind? These different loci of creation gained centrality at various moments during the career of artist and Spiritualist medium Anna Mary Howitt Watts (1824-1884).

One particular drawing from 1856, that of an iris (on the banner above), will be the focal point of this online talk, as competing idioms exist in tension within this image - a transitional work in which the laboured mimetic language of Pre-Raphaelitism literally unravels, giving way to the involuntary motions of spirit drawing. In works such as these, drawing ceases to be a way of documenting the visible world and instead becomes a way of communing with an invisible realm. 

Towards the end of the talk, we will turn to the 1870s, when Anna Mary Howitt began to identify as a 'student of psychology' and came up with a new term - 'automatic drawing' - without negating her Spiritualist beliefs. During this period, she wrote about another Spiritualist medium drawing 'the convolutions of her own brain'. 

How does that affect how we see the works of other mediumistic artists, including Howitt's colleague, Georgiana Houghton? Book now to find out in this livestream talk.

This talk will include a discussion and Q&A with Rachel Oberter, facilitated by College of Psychic Studies curator and archivist, Jacqui McIntosh.

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This talk will be recorded. You will find the recording link in your College Account within two working days from the event - an email will alert you when it is ready. This recording will be available for replay for three months following the event. Please see our terms for more information.

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Visit the exhibition:

Previous participants say:

"Very interesting presentation. Enjoyed seeing the images of the artwork."

It was fascinating to see some of the artworks for the first time. Big thanks to Rachel Oberter and the college team for a great job."

"I thought that Dr. Rachel Oberter provided a fantastic, thoughtful, and engaging lecture on the spirit art of Anna Mary Howitt and Georgiana Houghton. Fantastic."

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