About
Dante Gabriel Rossetti, born Gabriel Charles Dante Rossetti in London, is a central figure of Pre-Raphaelitism. Son of an Italian political exile, he co-founded the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood in 1848 with Holman Hunt and Millais. A painter and poet, he explored love, beauty, and death through works like Beata Beatrix and sensual poems that stirred controversy. He also translated Italian poets and coined the word 'yesteryear'. His life was marked by the death of his wife Elizabeth Siddal and his addiction to chloral. He died in 1882, influencing Symbolism and Aestheticism.
* 1828-05-12 — † 1882-04-09
Major works
- The Girlhood of Mary Virgin (1849)painting
- Ecce Ancilla Domini! (1850)painting
- The Early Italian Poets (1861)translation
- Poems (1870)poetry collection
- The House of Lifesonnet sequence
Key milestones
- 1848Co-founded the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood with William Holman Hunt and John Everett Millais.
- 1860Married Elizabeth Siddal, who died of a laudanum overdose in 1862.
- 1872Suffered a mental breakdown and became dependent on chloral hydrate and whisky.
Themes
lovebeautydeathsensualitymedievalism
Sources: tate.org.uk · poetryfoundation.org