One of the most famous paintings of the Pre-Raphaelites for sale

One of the most famous paintings pre-Raphaelites can be called a picture of Dante Gabriel Rossetti (Dante Gabriel Rossetti), which depicts Janey Morris (Janey Morris). The wife of a friend of the artist William Morris (William Morris) is represented in the image of Proserpine, on her face there was an ambiguous expression of longing and anxiety.

Dante Gabriel Rossetti - Proserpine

This painting will be exhibited at Sotheby’s in November this year. Previously, experts estimated the work at 1.8 million pounds. In 1970, this drawing was sold for 4,500 pounds, and this amount was considered quite good. Today, when the art of the Pre-Raphaelites is very in demand, the work of Dante Gabriel Rossetti is described as "one of the defining images for European art" - instantly recognizable and original. After a series of wonderful exhibitions in world capitals, a collection of paintings by the Pre-Raphaelites is presented at the Pushkin Museum in Moscow.

Pre-Raphaelite artists had their own ideas about female beauty, and Janie Morris with her long sad face, large dark eyes and a mass of curly hair was the perfect embodiment of this idea. The girl studied at a school for servants, in Oxford, where she met William Morris, who fell in love with her, paid for her private education, and later, in 1859, married her. Despite the fact that many artists admired the beauty of Janie Morris, their marriage lasted until the death of her husband, in 1896.

Rossetti in his work has repeatedly returned to the theme of Proserpine. This was especially expressed in the last years of his life. Simon Toll, a specialist in British and Irish art at Sotheby’s auction house, believes that this chalk drawing is the most beautiful version. For a long time, the drawing was in the collection of the artist L.S. Lowry (LS Lowry). Another version of the picture is in the collection of the Tate Gallery. The latest painting by Rossetti, which he completed a few months before his death, in April 1882, at the age of 53, also depicts Janie.

The drawing depicts Proserpine, the goddess of spring, stolen by the god of the underworld Pluto. Later, Pluto was forced to let her go to the ground, but gave Proserpine to eat three grains of pomegranate, so that she would never forget the road to the underworld. Until the end of her life, the girl was forced to spend half a year visiting Pluto. In Rossetti’s painting, Proserpine’s figure is only half-lit, and in her hand she squeezes a fatal grenade.

“Their ambiguous relationship is all there is in this painting,” Toll said. “He could not hold her, he could not let her go. It was almost an addiction. ”

The painting was first bought by one of the artist’s great patrons, William Graham of Glasgow. In total, he owned 37 Rossetti paintings. The current owner, perhaps inspired by the love of the Pre-Raphaelites of his friend L. S. Lowry, bought from him this painting for the Stone Gallery in Newcastle at a time when the Pre-Raphaelites were not yet in fashion.

“I knew that he had some pictures, but did not expect to see Proserpine. When I went into his room and saw that she was just hanging on the wall of a completely ordinary house, not a mansion, my legs nearly gave way. This is an impeccably wonderful thing. ”

Anna Sidorova © Gallerix.ru