DANTE GABRIEL ROSSETTI THE GIRLHOOD OF MARY VIRGIN

ROSSETTI’S COMMENTS IN A LETTER TO CHARLES LYELL “It belongs to the religious class which has always appeared to me the most adapted and the most worthy to interest the members of a Christian community. The subject is the education of the Blessed Virgin. In order, therefore, to attempt something more probable and at the same time less commonplace, I have represented the future Mother of Our Lord as occupied in embroidering a lily, —always under the direction of St. Anne; the flower she is copying being held by two little angels. At a large window in the background, her father is seen pruning a vine. There are various symbolic accessories which it is needless to describe”

ABOUT THE PAINTING • ROSSETTI REGARDED THE VIRGIN MARY AS THE HIGHEST TYPE OF FEMALE VIRTUE • HIS FIRST EXHIBITED PAINTING WAS OF HER AS GIRL SEATED WITH HER MOTHER ST. ANNE • MARY IS EMBROIDERING A LILY, AND SHE IS TENDED BY A CHILD ANGEL • THE PAINTING ATTEMPTS TO SHOW THE EDUCATION OF MARY

CHARACTERISTIC OF PRERAPHAELITE PAINTING: NATURALISM • LOVE OF NATURAL OBJECTS, ESPECIALLY PLANTS FOR THEIR OWN SAKE • WEALTH OF DETAIL – RICHNESS, FULLNESS AND LOTS OF ORNAMENTATION • PRETERNATURAL BRILLIANCE - LOVE OF COLOR AND LIGHT SHOWN WITH CLARITY AND DELICACY

NATURALISM • MARY’S FATHER PRUNING VINES • MARY IS EMBRODERING A LILY • LILY BEING GROWN IN POT • SEVEN-LEAVED PALM ON THE GROUND • VERY DETAILED PAINTING; LEAVES, BACKGROUND • COLOR AND LIGHT APPEAR NATURAL AND DELICATE, MAYBE SUNKISSED

CHARACTERISTIC OF PRERAPHAELITE PAINTING: NATURAL SUPERNATURALISM • ATTEMPT TO UNITE THE WORLD OF NATURE WITH THE WORLD OF SPIRIT, CONNECT BODY AND SOUL, REAL AND IDEAL • TENDENCY TOWARD RELIGIOUS SYMBOLISM AND SYMBOLIC ATMOSPHERES • SYMBOLS TEND TO BE MYSETERIOUS AND IMPLY ASSOCIATION WITH THE SUPERNATURAL

SUPERNATURAL SYMBOLS • LILY: MARY’S PURITY • VINE: CHRISTIAN TRUTH AND SACRIFICE OF CHRISTS LIFE • ROSE: ASSOCIATED WITH VIRGIN • PALM: PREDICTS FORTHCOMING PASSION OF CHRIST • DOVE: HOLY SPIRIT

SUPERNATURAL SYMBOLS • RED CLOAK: ROBE OF CHRIST • LAMP: PIETY • LATICE: CROSS • ANGEL: GABRIEL WHO ANNOUNCED MARY WOULD BEAR THE SON OF GOD • BOOKS: REPRESENT THE 3 CARDINAL AND THEOLOGICAL VIRTURES

TWO SONNETS • This is that blessed Mary, pre-elect God's Virgin. Gone is a great while, and she Was young in Nazareth of Galilee. Her kin she cherished with devout respect: Her gifts were simpleness of intellect And supreme patience. From her mother's knee Faithful and hopeful; wise in charity; Strong in grave peace; in duty circumspect. So held she through her girlhood; as it were An angel-watered lily, that near God Grows, and is quiet. Till one dawn, at home, She woke in her white bed, and had no fear At all, - yet wept till sunshine, and felt awed; Because the fullness of the time was come. • These are the symbols. On that cloth of red I' the centre, is the Tripoint, - perfect each Except the second of its points, to teach That Christ is not yet born. The books (whose head Is golden Charity, as Paul hath said) Those virtues are wherein the soul is rich: Therefore on them the lily standeth, which Is Innocence, being interpreted. The seven-thorned briar and the palm seven-leaved Are her great sorrows and her great reward. Until the time be full, the Holy One Abides without. She soon shall have achieved Her perfect purity: yea, God the Lord Shall soon vouchsafe His Son to be her Son.