Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1898-12-15
LECTURE AT NEW-GEaTuRy CLUB.

A lecture on "'Dapto Gabriel Ros-
/ settin was deivceed on Monday be-
! fore the olul by one uf its fnembers,
| Mrs. Susan Mari Spalding Of Boston.
| Mrs, Spnl1ing's treatment of her sub.
iect WAS sympathetic and full OF Hppre-
| citation Of the works Of this sifted MAN,
who wss SO richly endowed with inlngi..
mutton that he used the arts both of
poetry and printing to give 1T express
| sim.
/ MRS Slaliing described the reaction
toward modi,esalism ID Europe. that SO
years ago affected FIRST religion md
4 literature and ultimately, art Kos
setti was leader Of tho gregt artistic
movement, and the central figure of
the group known as thpt Pre- Raphael
ito Brotherhood, - whose aims were not
merely raVols from the pedantic stylo
| of the classical school. but return to
nature aud to the loving and exact
4 study OF minute things, which gives q
sense Of sincerity IN art, and a return
also to tho reverent and truth seeking
spirit with which the medieval artists
wrought Many who at first ridiculed
this new movement III art because they
could not understand 1t, ended by ra-
specting 1t for the same reason, and
what was onco regarded as y fad was
exnlted into a cult.
4 Rossetti's quicheping influence fell
on Holman Hunt and Millais, and Ed
4 ward Burpa-tJones owed his inspiration
to him. The early work of these artists
shows the impress Of his spirit. But
each was afterwards able to express his
own individuality. Rossetti was the
son OF an Italian patriot and poet, and
inherited with tho poetic gift a STRONG
| 90, thr ~ hotntn
whose mystical love poems seem to have
imhued his spirit and found expression
in his art. He did not have to endure
the traditional struggles with poverty
and want of appreciation. From the
/. first his friends believed In him and bis
J pictures found ready purchasers. His
. pictures Of beautiful women reveal one
Of tho most absolute Of his art themes,
, that beautiful form is artistieally the
sign of beautiful soul.
Mrs. Spalding told OF his great sor-
row in losing. In the first years of his
: married life, the vito to whom he WIS
, SO passionately attached and in whose
|, coffin he buried his volume Of manu-
script poems which contained the
verses she had inspired. Seven years
afterwards, tho volume was taken from
her grave at the earnest solicitation Of
: his friends and was published. Its
! success was instantaneous and Ros
/ setti's place in literature, as in art
was established. 1t is scarcely posi-
his genius. They once hit the expires
sion of the same perceptions recorded
in two ways. He charged his pictures
with ideas they could not express with
out the commentary of the sonnet ht
often annexed to them,
The enthusiasm evoked by his poem'
! was broken by q discordant notes HI
! WAS attacked by critic who made vi
? In personal inyectiye what he Lacked
Z In reasonable judgment, and though
! warmly defended by his friends, thi;
attack was u blow from which he nevel
l recovered; he became the victim of in
2 somnia and began the use of the fata
drug which destroyed his health snt
! very nearly his reason. He died Of
I Easter Sunday, 1882 1.-THE most in
!. teresting personality in modern art;
7 leader Of men, full Of rare knowledge
2 Astounding magnetism, affectionate
winning, earnest, above all, lovable.
9 these are the terms used TO describ
I him by those who knew him best
x The lecture was illustrated witt
stereopticop views of some of the mos
famous of Rossetti's pictures, the frs
Y being 1.-THE Girlhood of Mary Virgin,
q which he painted before he was 10 ant
y which has d suggestion Of the old re
!. ligious art. They wera q series o
y paintings showing marvellous rinhnes
:, OF coloring, vivid feeling and beauty o
q detail. An original conception wa
/ that Of "Joan of Arc kissing the Swor
g of peliveranee. The faee has rar
G turous but rosolute expression in til
!, firm pressure Of the lips and tho kee
y answering eyes, while she clasps tn
! sword in Il strong, nervous grasp, Thi
a has recently been brought TO thi
2 country and was exhibited in Ne'
Y York.
! Mr.. Samuel Bancroft possesses severa
q of Mr.. Rossetti's paintings. anon
: them being scene of English moder
y life, Found" which represents
70 young enuntryman entering London i
. the chilly dawn of ali autumn morn
q ing, where he finds woman, sunk ]
J, degradation, crouching despairingl
70 against O church yard wall, and racog
,, Mics in her his lnng-last sweetheart
y who shrinks from his touch and gas
vi Tho face of the woman shows extraol
binary power
u Another picture, OF which Mr.. Bar
Y croft has the original, is 1.-THE Watt
r Willow,'' fayorito picture of Nj
a Rossetti. The vito Of William Marri
" was the model for this as for man
y, other Of Rossetti's pictures Sho wa
" of q physical type which exactly titte
10 tho artistic pecplisrity of his temper
70 ment, a sketch OF Mre. Rossetti
X, drawn with great tenderness and grac
= and dellneates the dreamy ileality {
70 her beauty.
|
gaze until she seeIus to STIR
~ Until mine eyes almost aver
le That now, even now, the sweet lips part
of To breathe thu words OF the sweet heart
or And yet--lhe earth Is over hor,
D. The .sBeatn Beatrix" was the fir,
pictura painted afior tho death of h
vito and resembles her so strongly thi
b. it seems MS il she sat IN him
~ the spirit, "1he Blessed Damznei"
i. probably tho best known Of Rossetti
u pictures, A picture Of Rossotti's gra,
s. closed tho series. Robert Buchanni
To The critic, who had dealt so severe
n with him, dedicated book to hi
about the time Of his death. In fe
T. words, poignant with remorso,
Is wrote:
9, would have snatohed a bay-leaf from tn
40 brow.
o. Twinug tile chaplet on an honnrcd head !;
no In peace and charity ! bring thee now
nj 4 lily ilpwcr instead,
M Pure az thy purpose, biameless as thy. son
no Sweet Nd thy spirit. may this Offering be
vi Forget the bitter blanc That did thee wfOu