This is a lovely book which I used during my PhD study, and have continued to use since for my courses and research. It is about the tragic life of the beautiful Lizzie Siddal, wife of Dante Gabriele Rossetti and famous model in her own right.
The Pre-Raphaelite was a movement in Victorian art which, though often condemned by critics, is currently considered revolutionary, vibrant and meaningful. The founder of the movement was Dante Gabriel Rossetti himself. The Pre-Raphaelite circle included many artists, men and women, among them Christina Rossetti (Dante's sister), Jane Morris, John Everett Millais, Federic Leighton, William Holman Hunt, Ford Maddox Brown, Annie Miller and many others!
The Pre-Raphaelites adopted a distinctive, powerful style, with specific themes, and presented lively, often sexualized and disturbing renditions of mythological, literary and fairy tale themes.
In the first picture here we see Lizzie posing as Ophelia for the famous painting by John Everett Millais. Lizzie was not only a dedicated model, she was also a poet and artist in her own right.
Lucinda Hawksley's book is very well researched and written, and is accessible to academic and non-academic readers alike. It contains excerpts from Lizzie's poems and pictures of her sketches and other artistic work.
(Lucinda Hawksley is a biographer and a direct descendant of Charles Dickens; Dickens is her great great great grandfather. She has written books on Charles Dickens, Dickens's daughter Katey, and another book on Lizzie Siddal).
I recommend this book to anyone who is interested or is studying the Victorians, Lizzie Siddal, Pre-Raphaelite art or the history of women. Also, it is good reading for anyone who likes biography!
I wish you all a good night, always with beauty and a good book! xxx
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