In 1848, social unrest abounds. The Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, a secret group of young artists, forms in order to take on the sclerotic Royal Academy. The original three members add four friends to their ranks.

Art critic John Ruskin and his wife Effie travel to Scotland with John Everett Millais, a PRB leader. Millais falls in love with Effie and discovers that the Ruskins' marriage is in fact a sham.

Dante Gabriel Rossetti's life and relationships become complicated, especially after the tragic death of his wife Lizzie.

Rossetti acquires a follower in William Morris but his life is troubled by drug addiction, and he becomes increasingly isolated.