New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-04-30
DANTE G4BEIEL BoSSETT IS IN Artist

From The AheuGun.
Born in London Rossettl was more IMAM t"rn'y
years old before having sold picture; ne hiau9 =
short tour IN Belgium. where he studied dcrpiy tue
works of Van Eych at Client and MemHnc AT
Brures. But he a designer. anu. III some
re.necfs a Daiufcr before this. ard among fellow
students much admired on account OF ms Dlllani
invention the outcome of "A pCetical and trrNld
spirit OF the rarest order ana highest promise.
Such Technical training he cared 10 obtain IN ne
regular way-It was not much-Was obtained I'D tlIe
school of the late Nh Sass at bloomsbury an" a.
the Royal Academy, where he was aulhitle, Il stu-
dent about SIC. and continued Illul altrHHdht
in the Antique SchOOl-he never passed INTO the
Life for wear two later. In the spring oi
1918 the Pre- itaphaclIte Brot herhOOd was formed
comprised i've pain ters sculptor, ana also Mt
W. NJ ROssetl who has since distinguished himself
a. a critic The leading. rather the most bril-
liant member was Dante ROssettl, ut that Time the
only artist of any considerable literary culture IN
the body he energy ana artlstc insight OF Kos
setti showed themselves IN 1919 ana lot' I'D ms
first oil picture. Il small upright" example called
The GirlhO0d of the Virgin All who had wit
messed the course of ROssettIs studies divided ana
desultory if earnest. a. they had till then been,
were astOn-hed by the compieteneSs dehcacy;
finish and solidity OF this work. The spiritual
expected from the already recognized character OF
hIs genius. This painting had an interest Of lis
own in being till quite lately the sole work OF Kos
setti's publicly exhibited. .
At tbi, time every artist member Of the z. Il. b.
was accusi OmeG TO prepare designs IN pen al INK
for chosen subjects. Rossetu and MI MlllIls.
whose invention was superabundant, produced
more such works than their fellows; and thus We're
made many designs of SURPRISING merit. few OF
which were carried out IN oil or wafer; they remain
to attest not only the genius OF the inventors Dul
their technical skill ana industry hey are thor
oughly considered compositions, perfect IN every
respect hut color rs examples OF uGut anu sha"e
tbev canal fine etchinrs, which. indeed, ID many
respects they resemble ROssetu was accustomed
to choose at this time not only Scrptural lnciGehs
but especially Dantesque, legendary anu romantic
episodes which permitted him to exercise his won
derfu power of dramatic conception AT no tline Oh
his life was be content to produce mere llustra-
tions of what he read 10 the hlnts ana hal-hllls
of poets and historians he would give complete
development, adding new lmaElnlugs, complex
imagery and intensity of expression. Inc thouEht
that law az the bottom OF BIS text he evolved and
made his own. At other times. when ms Intellect
had fully developed itself he created MS own SUD
iects and even when Dante was IN question, re-
made the motives of the story and worked them
out again III noble pictures as well as IN verse
hardly less noble. NO modern artist not even
Decamps himself, rejected more emphaticaIly lhe
foolish notion of British critics. that design must
needs be the handmade illustrator OF literature
The next development Of our painter " Is IN the
direction of color. OF course. each step IN his
career was connected with that which preceded
and that which followed But one phase after the
other WIS dominant Ills progress was constant
His attention was occupied for several years after
1880 by the production OF number OF designs
referring TO Dante, to medieval iegenus. especlnny
those of the Arthuran cycle ana 10 ancient oaIIad
poetry In these designs ne used brilliant hues
such a. made his works glow with green purple ana
gold. and tlnts as vivid as those OF fourteenth
century illumIuatiUns. and harmOnlZed high notes
of rel and blue. as in The Blue Closet an ~
ample which like " The Tune Of seven Towers
refers to poetry of Mr.. William Morris S." aAos
Mistress : The Damosel of the Sancte GraaL and
The Last Meeting Of Laucelot and Gulneyefe
Nearly ten years lo3O-l 500 were deV9ieu 10
these drawings and to similar studies ana AZ ms
time more pictures IN OIL. which, so tar a. we
know. were never completed, wee begun ana IN
part executed The legend OF LlIllth. the hrst we
of Adam had a fascination for ROssettl at tins
period and ever aiterward. The fable OF that lux
urOus and cruel witch, the tale OF her haugntncss
TrII
mysteriOusness of the tradition charmed his IN
a9inatiOn. While making studies larger than lie
for this ana similar designs OF slngularly original
character, he not long after 1850, Produced tne
earliest of a new class of his works. such a. the
Sbyla Palnifera,' Norma Wanna and the
magnificent Venus NertIcordia,' all of which
fhis elias, comprises stately figures, larger than
life instinct with fateiu passion or tragic ,ansuots
and personfying love in all It's phases and degrees
of desire or safety. Among them are Wltch-hhe
Astarte Gree at once cunning anu ciueI ~, coD'1
fingered" Diana; the pure Wl7tina I'll P'e g'~.u
heaven and with incfiabe tenderness. waited
through centuries i0T the coming OF her lover 10 is
a study OF and ceru lean blue Dante Am
META diving in a purple twilight; the beautitnl
La Bella Mano.' and the nameless " Lady OF the
Day-Dream,' reclining under
Ihe thronged boughs OF the shadowy sycamore,
within the branching shade Of Revere.
The greatest works of Rossett are two. The first
is The Bride" or The Beloved an Illustration
OF the Song of solomon, which belongs 10 MI nae
and comprises five lIfe-slZe. three-quaTterS-length
female figures and negro girl. marriage pro-
cessiOn appears to have halted. and the women
nres- closely on one another. so that their brilliant
carnations and the splendOr OF theG dresses are
brought together TO form glowing mass. Inc
bride is clad in apple-grecn silk. supcrhy EN-
broidered with flowers and leaves ana she wears Z
veil of tissue of differing green on her head is an
ainrette OF scarlet enamel and gold. resembling an
Egvutlan rOyal Jewell Half thOughtuliy, hall ia
the conscious pride OF supreme loneliness she has
removed the tissue from before her face ana throat
thus revealing the softened IlRnIly OF heI Lo'
laden ewes and the exquistey fair carnations OF
her checks There Is the least mint Oh a Diush
within the skin as though the heart OF the lazy
ouickeDed There is tenderness III her look, bul
there IL no youptuOus ardOr. The lips are deep IN
color rs blush roses The other dHnse!S Of TINS
DobIe nicture are only less beautiful than their
mistress The second picture Is called " fr0ser,
nina and the figure OF the bride OF gloomy us
eDitomiZes the highest qualities Oh h9ssrtu ai1
and poetry Ii is the property Oh Mt. r. Ley anu.
Although the picture is in this instance tIe greater
work of art we cannot better conclude TINS notice
of ROssetti as poet and AZ Il paltei - ~ -
peating the sonnet he wrote 20 eXpouud the pas
sionate motive of Proserpina.' lie Will tnuS APP
pear in his dual capacity
Affair away the light that brings cold cheer
Under this wall-One instant and no more
Admitted at u distant palucedoor
Altar the flowers Of Emma from tins dIetrii 49,, nere
Dire fruit which tasted once, must tIilil lh1 nOAo
Afar those skies from this Iartarean gray
That chills and a'ar, how far away
The nights that shall be from the days that WERE
Afar from mine own self seem, and wing
strange ways Of thought, and listen Tor sign
ana SUI some heart unto some soul dohl pihc'
lHhOst sounds mine inner sense Is Lain 10 DRINK,
Continually together murmurngl-
woes me Tor thee, unhappy ProserpineT