Roman Widow (Dis Manibus)

roman-widowA beautiful Roman widow plays music beside her husband’s urn.  According to Walker Art Gallery, the marble cinerary urn is based on one Rossetti owned and the instruments were from Pompeian wall paintings.  While I don’t know exactly which images Rossetti used as his source, I did find this fresco from Pompeii via Wikimedia Commons: Pompeii_-_Musician_with_Harp_and_Cithara_-_MAN

Most of my favorite Rossetti paintings incorporate vivid green hues, such as Proserpine and The Day-Dream.  However, I find myself drawn to the lighter color scheme of Roman Widow.  It’s so bright and airy– not what we would consider mournful, except that’s my own modern perception.  Rossetti’s painting is historically accurate since the Romans wore white robes for mourning.  I believe that Buddhist and Asian cultures also wear white as mourning, as well as people in medieval Europe.  (Here’s an interesting post about historical funeral fashion conventions.)

Alexa Wilding served as the model for Roman Widow.  Her fingers seem to lightly strum the instrument in the same absentminded fashion as in Veronica Veronese: veronicaveronese

Yet again, I think that Rossetti is using his gauzy scarf (as mentioned in Favorite Fashion Details):

Scarf used as headdress in 'Roman Widow'

Scarf used as headdress in ‘Roman Widow’

Scarf seen in this detail from 'The Bower Meadow'.  Also, note Rossetti's oft-used spiral hair pin.

Scarf seen in this detail from ‘The Bower Meadow’. Also, note Rossetti’s oft-used spiral hair pin.

Scarf seen again in this detail from 'The Blessed Damozel'.

Scarf seen again in this detail from ‘The Blessed Damozel’.

Detail from 'La Ghirlandata'

Detail from ‘La Ghirlandata’

 

I wonder if it is the same scarf or shawl visible in this 1865 of Jane Morris.  I desperately want it to be the same one. Mainly because when I look at the photo, it is the blurred movement of the scarf that speaks to me.  It seems so alive, so ephemeral.

janemorrisseated

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Latest Pre-Raphaelite Sightings

New images added to the Unexpected Pre-Raphaelite Sightings page!

Thank you to Alexandrion Drallipo for discovering these images.  William Morris’ Larkspur wallpaper in Finding Neverland:

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William Morris’ Willow pattern wallpaper in the TV series Justified:

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William Morris Windrush wallpaper in Django Unchained:

Django

Thank you to Lisa Gill for noticing The Crystal Ball by John William Waterhouse in The Following:

following1

following2

 

 

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Wombat Friday: And the winner is…

flower

It has been a difficult week. So many troubling stories in the news. The Pre-Raphaelites had it right when they sought to include nature in their works, for today this simple, cheerful flower has boosted my mood. Happy Wombat Friday! “Nature is painting for us, day after day, pictures of infinite beauty if only we have the eyes to see them.” (John Ruskin)

And now for the winner!

Thank you so much for participating in my first giveaway.  It was so fun reading your comments that I feel another giveaway coming on soon!  I chose the winning comment using www.random.org/integers/ to generate a number at random.  Congratulations to Lindsey Marton, I shall send you an email right away!

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Win Three Pre-Raphaelite Blank Journals Designed by Brigid Ashwood

journals

It’s my first giveaway!  And what a giveaway it is!  One lucky reader will receive these three gorgeous blank journals.  Designed by Brigid Ashwood, each journal is a 6X9 paperback with 200 pages.  Pages are lined on one side, blank on the other. Journals are available for purchase here.

To enter, simply post a comment below.  It doesn’t have to be elaborate, a nice “I want these journals!” or “I like your blog” will do. The winner will be chosen at random on Friday.  Good luck, I know you are going to love these!

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Wombat Friday: An Easter Celebration

easterwombat

Happy Easter!  Pictured in the background is Dante Gabriel Rossetti’s ‘The Girlhood of Mary Virgin‘, Rossetti’s first oil painting and the first work to bear the inscription ‘PRB’.  His models for this work were his mother, Frances Polidori Rossetti, and sister Christina.

For new readers, here’s an explanation of Wombat Friday and don’t miss this post at The Kissed Mouth (Kirsty explained Rossetti and his wombat much better than I did).

Wherever you are, you may or may not be experiencing spring weather yet.  Even if you’re not, we can still enjoy an allegorical representation of Spring, here’s Spring by Sir Edward Burne-Jones:

spring

 

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The End of the Affair

When Psyche is distraught over the loss of her love Eros, she attempts suicide in a river.  She survives and the god Pan offers her comfort and advice.

Pan and Psyche, Edward Burne-Jones

Pan and Psyche, Edward Burne-Jones

Burne-Jones painted this version of Pan and Psyche after his lover, Mary Zambaco, attempted to throw herself in Regent’s Canal in an ugly and embarrassing scene.  It was the breaking point of an illicit relationship that was painful for all involved.  Burne-Jones had intense feelings for Mary but could not bring himself to abandon his children or his wife Georgie.  Mary had grown increasingly desperate and, upon the realization that he would not leave his family, presented Ned with a sufficient amount of Laudanum to kill them both.  In response to his shocked refusal, she ran to the river and he was forced to wrestle her to the ground.

It is an ugly thing to write about.  Even though over a hundred years have passed, I feel uncomfortable blogging about something so personal and painful.  Yet, it is interesting to see how Burne-Jones depicted Mary after their affair ended.

He casts her as Phyllis in Phyllis and Demophoon.  Phyllis committed suicide by hanging when her lover Demophoon left her.Edward_Burne-Jones_Phyllis_and_Demophoon_1870

Perhaps even more telling is his choice to portray her as Nimue as she entraps Merlin in The Beguiling of Merlin.  Through his work, Burne-Jones tells us an autobiographical tale of his own beguiling and his entrapment because of their affair.  In Merlin’s face, we see the artist’s own features. Perhaps The Beguiling of Merlin was a way of marking the end of the drama.   He was disillusioned, even writing that she was “A woman at her best, self-denying and devoted , is pathetic and lovely beyond words; but once she gets the upper hand and flaunts, she’s the devil.”

beguilingmerlin

Of course, you can also see Mary in happier works, before the bitterness set in.  My favorites are the Pygmalion series.

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Goddess of Soul and Memory

I love how names from ancient mythology still permeate our language. They do not shrivel and fall away. They persist.

Today we use the word psyche to sum up everything that we are. It is our soul, our mind. It is both our conscious and unconscious. Our subconscious fears and troubles lurk in our psyche. We also have great power and potential there, sometimes left uncovered unless we are brave enough to pursue it. Our psyche is literally everything. It is our soul.

Pan and Psyche, Edward Burne-Jones

Pan and Psyche, Edward Burne-Jones

Psyche, the youngest daughter of a king, had such remarkable beauty that even the goddess Aphrodite had grown jealous. So jealous, in fact, that anger consumed her and led her to instruct her son Eros (god of love) to cause Psyche to fall in love with a repulsive and horrible man. Except Eros was so struck with Psyche that he fell in love with her himself.

Psyche Entering Cupid's Garden, John William Waterhouse

Psyche Entering Cupid’s Garden, John William Waterhouse

Psyche Opening the Golden Box

Psyche Opening the Golden Box, John William Waterhouse

 

Spiriting her away to a secret location, he instructed Psyche to never look upon his face. In darkness he visited her every night, leaving before the dawn of day. Although blissfully happy with her love, Psyche was taunted by her jealous sisters. They convinced her that it was a hideous and grotesque monster who embraced her each night. With the seeds of doubt sown in her mind, Psyche broke her promise to Eros and looked at his face by the light of a lamp while he slept. Far from a monster, Psyche found herself gazing upon the face of a god. What should have been a moment of bliss quickly turned tragic as she inadvertently dropped oil from the lamp, spilling it on Eros’ shoulder. Eros awakens, feeling angry and betrayed. Psyche has broken his trust and he leaves her, seemingly never to return.

Devastated, Psyche throws herself into a river in an unsuccessful attempt to kill herself. She later encounters the god Pan who comforts her and suggests that she might possibly win Eros back through servitude. Psyche begins to wander and search for Eros until she eventually reaches a temple of Aphrodite. Here her suffering reaches new depths as Aphrodite takes Psyche on as a slave, imposing tortuous tasks for her to accomplish. Once Psyche completes her tasks, she becomes immortal and is reunited with Eros.

Cupid Delivering Psyche, Sir Edward Burne-Jones

Cupid Delivering Psyche, Sir Edward Burne-Jones

Cupid Gazing at Psyche

Cupid Gazing at Psyche

 

 

 

 

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