Sidonia von Bork by Sir Edward Burne-Jones

The intricate pattern of Sidonia’s gown is amazing. Painted in 1860, Sidonia von Bork is an early watercolor by Burne-Jones and is based on the book Sidonia the Sorceress.  Burne-Jones used model Fanny Cornforth (a Rossetti favorite) to portray Sidonia.  We see her standing in profile, apparently lost in thought while plotting and scheming.  In … Read more

New image added to LizzieSiddal.com

Drawn by Elizabeth Siddal, At the Milliners is privately owned. For security reasons, the owner would prefer to remain anonymous. I am grateful that they have so graciously shared this image with LizzieSiddal.com. The owner did have this to say: The attributed title, “At the Milliner’s,” is most likely incorrect. That name was given because … Read more

Lucrezia Borgia

The tale of the Borgias captivated Rossetti. Lucrezia Borgia (1480-1519) was the member of a ruthless political family. Her father Rodrigo Borgia eventually became Pope Alexander VI. We see her in Rossetti’s painting washing her hands after the poisoning of her husband, Duke Alfonso Bisceglie. Rossetti had a tendency to paint women’s arms and necks … Read more