Elizabeth Siddal (Mrs. Dante Gabriel Rossetti) is a deeply intimate graphite drawing executed by Dante Gabriel Rossetti (English, 1828-1882) over the protracted period of 1849 to 1859. This foundational work captures the artist’s most significant muse and eventual wife, Elizabeth Siddal, whose distinct appearance and profound artistic sensibility became synonymous with the Pre-Raphaelite movement emerging in England.
Rossetti utilized graphite with careful stumping techniques on a sheet of ivory wove paper, which was subsequently edge mounted onto heavier off-white wove paper. The delicate application of the medium allows for subtle tonal variations, lending the portrait a soft, ethereal quality that emphasizes Siddal’s characteristic features and contemplative demeanor. The prolonged creation timeline reflects the intensity and evolution of their complex artistic and romantic partnership.
Siddal was central to the iconography of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, not only serving as a model for many of Rossetti’s most famous works but also developing her own career as an artist and poet. This drawing thus functions as a powerful document of a seminal Victorian artistic relationship. The work resides within the esteemed permanent collection of the Art Institute of Chicago, offering direct insight into the 1828-1882 master’s personal life and technical dexterity. As a major historical drawing, Elizabeth Siddal (Mrs. Dante Gabriel Rossetti) is often cited in scholarship regarding 19th-century portraiture, and high-quality prints of this public domain masterwork are accessible for study worldwide.
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