The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1890-03-09


Admirers Of Dante Gabriel Rossetti
will find in the volume written by his
brother. William Michael Rossetti.
being a record Of the lile-Work of the
poet painter, lovingly and carefully
compiled. abundant food wherewith 10
satisfy their cravings for mlnutie con
corning the birth and progress 10 iiral
fru ton of remarkable genius. This
book is divided into two sections, one
treating If Rossetii's paintings aud de
signs. ITO which a tabular list of works
of art serves asan appendix and the
other OF his wriliDgs supplemented by
an index OF writings. and also by the
prose parapbrasc Of The House of
Life. The first Is avOwedly more full
Of detail. IN that RJssetti was pro
fessionaily a painter. not a man of the
literary calling Brief and succinct
is the page of biography with which
the author introduces hs book and le-
calls bis gifted brother:
Gabriel Charles Dante Rossetti, who
from 1850 or thereabouis. called himself
Dante Gabriel R0s-etti. was the son of
Gabrielle Rosseiti. a political exile frCm
the Neapoliian kingdom. ard Of
Frances Mary Lavilia lPOlideri). an
Enghshwoman of parenlage Italian
Tuscan on ihe fathers side. He was
born i'm London. IN the l2ih of May.
1928 Gabriel R0ssctti was Professor OF
Italian m Kings College. London. and
subsisted by teaching his language.
Dante GatTifl was educated
IN Kings College School. which be
quilted in OF about 1913 to study as o
rainter. becoming student IN the An
tque School of the Royal Academy ard
afterwards benehuug from Che friend
Is guidance Of lhc painter, Ford Mad
tx Brown. I'm 1915 he associated him
self with three rising artists-Wiiliam
Holman Hunt. John Everett MIllais
and Thomas Wooiner-in founding
the so called Pi@apnaelile Broth
erfoOd, with view 90 re-
form or re development Of the art
Rossetti exhibited bis first oil
picture The GiIlhood OF Mary. Virgin.
In 1919. In 1860 ne married
Elizabeth Eleanor Siddal. daughter OF
Sheffield cutler-she died ia 1862. Ros
setu published his first volume. the
translation. named The Early Italian
Poets. iu 1861. lu 1870 appeared the
volume Poems. and ln 1881. the same
volume with some modification Of its
contents. and lle Ballads and SOnnets.
lie died on J.h April. lss2. at Birch
ington 0n-Saa, near Mlrgate. Tire iiusi
stage Of his disease was uIe MIA; but iu-
somnia. dating from about 1867. and
abuse Of chloral as a SD
p0filc. were tine root of the evil. At
Bilchingt0n he lies buried. under a fig
lred Irish cross monument designed
MADDOX Blown.
Il was not until year or so after
r ssetti lefg school and entered the
drawing academy that the poems OF hi
Immortal namesake. Dante. began TO-
influence him seriously. Hitherto his
iavofltes bad been Shakespeare. Walter
Scott. Byron. & for while reigning
supreme Shelley, Mrs Browning.
Teunyson and E eclipsing all predeces-
sOrs for some years J Browning. Bal
ley's Feslus and the poems Of Keats
also took high p ace IA bis heart. But
afterwards Dante poems rooted
deeply and germinlted rapidly IN his
mind. That bis taste as painter was
equally subject % the mutations Of
time is evinced by his letter
io friend about bis early and
famous Girlhood of Mary, Virgin, OF
which the medieval fantasies are well
known. Il assure you u quite sur
prised me land shamed me a littlel TO
see what ! did fifteen years ago. when
l was twenty" Between this first effort
in a school Of art since so widely dis
cussed and criticised and tlie fiual
achievements Of his brush-a small
.Proserplne' and a Joan Of Arc Kissing
the Sword OF Delivcfance, the very
last cauyases to which be set his hand.
snTening within the clasp of Death;
between the poem OF The Blessed
Damosel. written in his nineteenth
year. and his completion OF The Dutch
mans Pipe. 81 during hls latter days Of
illuess-this story Of R0ssettl's life Is
oro.r4ad with iufqrpstfuO detail