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Portrait of William Michael Rossetti

Christina Georgina Rossetti (British, 1830-1894)c. 1853

The Cleveland Museum of Art

The Cleveland Museum of Art
Cleveland, United States

The youngest of four children in the artistic Rossetti family, Christina Rossetti lived on the periphery of the Pre-Raphaelite movement, occasionally modeling for her brother Dante Gabriel Rossetti, and submitting her poetry to the brotherhood’s journal, <em>The Germ</em>. Before achieving acclaim as a poet with works such as <em>Goblin Market</em> and <em>Monna Innominata</em>, she briefly considered pursuing a career as an artist. This portrait of her brother William is one of her few surviving drawings. In the spare profile, the figure’s eyes are downcast, as though reading or in private reverie, perhaps in reference to William’s work as a man of letters.

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  • Title: Portrait of William Michael Rossetti
  • Creator: Christina Georgina Rossetti (British, 1830-1894)
  • Date Created: c. 1853
  • Physical Dimensions: Sheet: 17.9 x 12.8 cm (7 1/16 x 5 1/16 in.)
  • Provenance: William Michael Rossetti, by descent, (sale, Christie's, London, December 15, 2010, no. 13, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH), Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • Type: Drawing
  • Rights: CC0
  • External Link: https://clevelandart.org/art/2010.462
  • Medium: graphite
  • Inscriptions: signed and inscribed, in graphite, at lower left: CGR William
  • Fun Fact: Christina and William Rossetti shared a strong emotional bond. Employed as a civil servant, William provided financial stability that allowed Christina to pursue poetry.
  • Department: Drawings
  • Culture: England, 19th century
  • Credit Line: Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund
  • Collection: DR - British
  • Accession Number: 2010.462
The Cleveland Museum of Art

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