Manfred on the Jungfrau

painting by Brown

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July 16, 2026

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Manfred on the Jungfrau is an oil painting by English artist Ford Madox Brown, created around 1840. It is associated with the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, though Brown was never an official member. The painting depicts a scene inspired by Lord Byron's dramatic poem "Manfred," which is set in the Swiss Alps.12

Brown's early work, including Manfred on the Jungfrau, is noted for its somber colors and dramatic intensity. He was dedicated to accurately representing natural phenomena, even studying corpses to achieve realism in other works. The Jungfrau is a prominent peak in the Bernese Alps of Switzerland.12

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Ford Madox Brown
…Paris during 1840–43, such as Manfred on the Jungfrau (c. 1840) and Parisina’s Sleep (1842). Already concerned with the accurate representation of natural phenomena, he drew from corpses in University College Hospital in London when painting his Prisoner of Chillon (1843). During a visit to Italy in 1845, he met…
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…Paris during 1840–43, such as Manfred on the Jungfrau (c. 1840) and Parisina’s Sleep (1842). Already concerned with the accurate representation of natural phenomena, he drew from corpses in University College Hospital in London when painting his Prisoner of Chillon (1843). During a visit to Italy in 1845, he met…
Read More