My Brother Paints
Christina on Gabriel and Lizzie
My brother paints his beauteous wife
in every tale he brings to life:
her long neck, patrician nose,
her lean limbs in langorous pose,
the soulful, melancholy eyes
in distant gaze of mute surmise;
her face and form, over and over ...
his muse and pupil, spouse and lover.
There are other loves and models, yes,
but all portrayed with her impress.
He and his friends are rapturous
at just one kind of loveliness –
flowing robes and flowing hair,
a static, halted, waiting air,
the face, upraised or else cast down,
yet innocent of smile or frown.
In paint or life, the artist’s hand
must awaken her – gift or demand?
Her pallid flesh can’t stir or strive
until he moves to bring it alive.
until he moves to bring it alive.
Or so his images suggest.
In truth, she early went to rest:
his turbulent Elizabeth
idealised: passive, mute in death.
Written for Weekly Scribblings #20: Undoubtedly Rossetti at Poets and Storytellers United. We were asked to find inspiration in the poems of Christina Rossetti or the paintings of her brother, pre-Raphaelite artist and poet Dante Gabriel Rossetti, known as Gabriel in the family – whose wife Elizabeth Siddall, herself an important artist and noted poet, was his chief model until her untimely death at the age of 33.
Pre-Raphaelite paintings often represented characters from myth, legend and literature. This image, used according to Fair Use, is Rossetti's 'Beata Beatrix', painted after her death from drawings of Elizabeth, and referencing the Italian poet Dante Alighieri's idealised love for Beatrice. (Rossetti had a lifelong interest in Alighieri, whom he was named after.)
It is known that Christina Rossetti had issues with the pre-Raphaelite portrayals of women.
This piece is inspired by the work of both Rossettis.Though I don't think I approach the lilting beauty of Christina's verse, I hope the rhyming and language are reminiscent.
Written for Weekly Scribblings #20: Undoubtedly Rossetti at Poets and Storytellers United. We were asked to find inspiration in the poems of Christina Rossetti or the paintings of her brother, pre-Raphaelite artist and poet Dante Gabriel Rossetti, known as Gabriel in the family – whose wife Elizabeth Siddall, herself an important artist and noted poet, was his chief model until her untimely death at the age of 33.
Pre-Raphaelite paintings often represented characters from myth, legend and literature. This image, used according to Fair Use, is Rossetti's 'Beata Beatrix', painted after her death from drawings of Elizabeth, and referencing the Italian poet Dante Alighieri's idealised love for Beatrice. (Rossetti had a lifelong interest in Alighieri, whom he was named after.)
It is known that Christina Rossetti had issues with the pre-Raphaelite portrayals of women.
This piece is inspired by the work of both Rossettis.Though I don't think I approach the lilting beauty of Christina's verse, I hope the rhyming and language are reminiscent.
.... This is a gloriously sketched EPIC poem, Rosemary! 😍😍 I love how seamlessly the rhymes blend together to form a picture of Gabriel and Elizabeth. Especially this: "In paint or life, the artist’s hand must awaken her – gift or demand," is beautiful! Thank you so much for writing to the prompt! I love it! 💘💘
ReplyDeleteThank you for the wonderful prompt!
DeleteI love that you wrote from Christina’s point of view, Rosemary, and the way you describe Lizzie’s ‘long neck, patrician nose, / her lean limbs in languorous pose’ and her ‘soulful, melancholy eyes / in distant gaze of mute surmise’. You are right about the artist’s hand awakening her, and her early death.
ReplyDeleteYes, I've long been fascinated by the lives and work of the Pre-Raphaelites.
Delete"There are other loves and models..."
ReplyDeleteThat's Jane Morris in my mind.
He made them all look so alike! But it’s on record that this one was modelled on Lizzie, a posthumous piece based on his numerous drawings of her.
DeleteOh Rosemary, I solo like this. I too noticed that his repitoire of models consisted of only a few, all beautiful.
ReplyDeletep.s. I did not post my painting selection as I thought my juvenile readers, family and others, might not be ready for all this, it was the one of the lady holding an apple, one breast revealed. I have the picture now linked to the name. It takes a little paying withe header choices to get the picture in.
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I looked up the painting when I read your poem, Jim. Loved your choice, and your tale about her – and grinned at your description of her in your notes as 'a fine lady who was having a wardrobe malfunction'.
DeleteReally enjoyed your poem ... I also did a bit of research into brother and sister, learned a lot! A benefit of these intriguing challenges we get.
ReplyDeleteExquisite verse drawn from both the art and poetry of the Rossettis.
ReplyDeleteVery interesting reading Rosemary. Happy Wednesday
ReplyDeletemuch💝love
The tone and beat of this one will stay with me, especially in the middle stanza--which reminds me a lot of "Kubla Khan", one of my favorite poems.
ReplyDeleteOh, what a compliment! Thank you.
DeleteOh that last line. I'm suddenly thinking about Lizzie, and how we only know her through him. That is how he saw her but is that who she truly was.
ReplyDeleteIt's clear that wasn't how she was; enough evidence remains to justify my 'turbulent'. Also, see my note that she was herself a renowned artist and poet. You raise another interesting question for me – I wonder if the way he portrayed her in his art was really how he saw her in everyday life. I suspect not! The pre-Raphaelites were deliberately painting an idealised version of womanhood. I still want to take issue – as Christina did – with that ideal.
DeleteThis is so beautiful...I love how you addressed the painting with Christina's voice
ReplyDeleteI agree with all the comments on your beautiful poem about the Rosettis. In that romantic age of British painting there were several artists who were very gifted. The Rossetti's work was however on par with anything else that was painted in Europe at that time despite Britain's conservatism in the artistic fied then. Brilliantly written Rosemary.
ReplyDeleteAww, thank you for the high praise, Robin.
Deletei love how you described the painting so meticulously and splendidly. I also commend your writing skills as they perfectly mirrored Rossetti's writings. Thank you so much for the wonderful comment you left on mine, dear Rosemary. I am thankful for your generous as well as positive musings of it. Best regards.
ReplyDeleteWow! This is so well done, and the rhyming is seamless. Beautiful portrait.
ReplyDelete