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Dante Gabriel Rossetti (1828–82), "Ecce Ancilla Domini! (The Annunciation)" (1850); Oil paint on canvas; 1002 × 698 × 88 mm; Tate Britain.

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Dante Gabriel Rossetti (1828-82), "The Girlhood of Mary Virgin" (1849); Oil paint on canvas; 1080 × 905 × 75 mm; Tate Britain.

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Sir John Everett Millais, Bt (1829–1896); "Ophelia" (1852); Oil paint on canvas; : 1105 × 1458 × 145 mm; Tate Britain.

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Dante Gabriel Rossetti (1828-1882); "Beata Beatrix" (1870); Oil paint on canvas; 1214 × 1018 × 87 mm; Tate Britain.

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Rossetti created this masterpiece as a memorial for his dead wife, Elizabeth Siddal. Siddal played muse and model for the PRB, later marrying Rossetti. She famously posed for Millais’ Ophelia.

Rossetti was heavily influenced by Dante Alighieri, paralleling his grief to what Dante experienced when his beloved Beatrice dies in La vita nuova (The New Life; 1295). A circle of light surrounds Beatrix, similar to the halo of an angel. Her expression resembles that of transcending heavenly boundaries.

Rossetti has immortalised Siddal in this medium, raising her up to the pedestal of an angel. This painting merges both themes of portraying the female as both death and the divine. The line between the spiritual and physical love has been blurred.

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Elizabeth Eleanor Siddal (1829-1862), "The Lady of Shallot" (1853); Pen and ink on paper; 16.5 x 22.3 cm; Jeremy Maas Gallery. 

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This painting forms a visual narrative of Alfred Lord Tennyson’s “The Lady of Shalott”. The poem tells the tale of Elaine d’Astolat, who lives under a curse, weaving a tapestry. One day, her concentration is broken by the reflection of Sir Lancelot. The interruption of her work ultimately leads to her sudden death.

The painting embodies female agency, especially when viewed through a woman’s perspective. It diverts attention from Sir Lancelot or her impending death, by placing the female figure at the centre. The lack of colour compared to other renditions of the poem, making it all the more profound on the viewer. Combining female and artistic self-expression, this piece serves as a 19th century symbol of voice and agency.

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Christina Rossetti (1830-1894) “In an Artist’s Studio,” The Poetry Foundation, 2024

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Sir John Everett Millais (1829 - 1896); "The Blind Girl" (1856); Oil paint on canvas; 534 x 808 mm; Birmingham Museums Trust.