Charles Allston Collins

Biography

Charles Allston Collins (1828–1873) began his career among the Pre-Raphaelite circle, exhibiting finely detailed genre scenes and sharing the intense aesthetic concerns of that group before turning his full attention to the written word. He contributed essays and short pieces to the journals of the day, bringing with him the careful observation of a painter while composing fiction and criticism.

In later years he devoted himself to writing, producing stories and reflections that combined romantic feeling with sharp editorial insight, and he remained a gentle figure in London’s literary salons until his death in Brompton Cemetery.