After their exposure at the Academy, the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood dissolved in 1853. However, the artists who identified with the movement went on to develop prolific artistic careers and even mentored future artists who were inspired by their work such as Edward Burne-Jones and William Morris. The Brotherhood was the starting point for what would become an artistic era spanning well into the 1900s, inspiring a second generation of Pre-Raphaelite artists. 

It is an age-old question for historians, the question of why the past is important, that we should care about studying it. The answer has many facets. There is the fundamental impact of Pre-Raphaelite art in inspiring future artists who then made their mark on art, and so on. Art would no doubt have resulted in radically different results without their influence. However, we will not deal with what-ifs, rather, think about their place in history and what we can learn through that. Human nature has not changed much in the time we have existed. Part of looking into the past is coming to terms with the similarities and the differences of that past. The Pre-Raphaelites were like us and there is a connection in that, but they were also part of a world that is completely alien to us now. Scholars, teachers, students, no one will be able to fully realize the past in all its complexity. But that does not mean it is not important to study it. By studying it, we receive a glimpse, perhaps even wisdom, from the lives of those who existed before us. This is not the only reason why we should care about a period from art history, but it is certainly something we should take into consideration when we pursue the question, Why?