Study of Jane Morris for Astarte Syriaca thumbnail 1
Study of Jane Morris for Astarte Syriaca thumbnail 2
Request to view

This object can be requested via email from the Prints & Drawings Study Room

Image of Gallery in South Kensington

Study of Jane Morris for Astarte Syriaca

Drawing
1875 (drawn)
Artist/Maker
Rossetti, Dante Gabriel (artist)
Place of origin
England (made)

This is a study for the head of the central figure in a three-quarter-length oil painting that is now in the City of Manchester Art Gallery. The subject was Rossetti's invention, and he also wrote a sonnet about her. His poetry was not intended to explain his painting, or his painting to illustrate his poetry: the two arts were different means of expressing the same idea. Both place stress on the subject's physical attributes, her remarkable neck, lips and eyes. She shared these features with Jane Morris, Rossetti's mistress, on whom the figure was modelled.

Object details

Categories
Drawings
Portraits
Object type
Drawing
TitleStudy of Jane Morris for <i>Astarte Syriaca</i> (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Coloured chalks
Brief description
Study of Jane Morris for Astarte Syriaca by Dante Gabriel Rossetti, 1875.
Physical description
Full face female head and shoulders
Dimensions
  • Framed height: 77.5cm
  • Framed width: 68cm
  • Height: 54.6cm
  • Width: 44.7cm
  • Framed depth: 6cm
currently glazed wth anti static perspex 05/08/2022
Object history
The finished picture, Astarte Syriaca (1877) is in Manchester Art Gallery.

A pastel drawing of Jane Morris dated 1876 (Surtees 261B), a study for Mnemosyne (1881; Delaware Art Museum), appears to be a replica of 490-1883. The 1876 pastel was included in the exhibition The Poetry of Drawing: Pre-Raphaelite Designs, Studies and Watercolours at Birmingham Museum, 29th January to 15th May 2011.
Subjects depicted
Astarte (Syriaca)
Jane Morris
Literary referenceRossetti's Astarte Syriaca
Summary
This is a study for the head of the central figure in a three-quarter-length oil painting that is now in the City of Manchester Art Gallery. The subject was Rossetti's invention, and he also wrote a sonnet about her. His poetry was not intended to explain his painting, or his painting to illustrate his poetry: the two arts were different means of expressing the same idea. Both place stress on the subject's physical attributes, her remarkable neck, lips and eyes. She shared these features with Jane Morris, Rossetti's mistress, on whom the figure was modelled.
Bibliographic references
  • Owens, Susan, The Art of Drawing British Masters And Methods Since 1600, V&A Publishing, London, 2013, p. 138, fig. 112
  • Mikael Ahlund, ed, including an essay by Martin Barnes, The Pre-Raphaelites Stockholm: Nationalmuseum, 2009. ISBN: 978-91-7100-809-1.
  • Fagence Cooper, Suzanne, Pre Raphaelite Art in the Victoria & Albert Museum, London, V&A Publications, 2003. 176p., ill. ISBN I 85177 393 2
  • Evans, Mark et al. Vikutoria & Arubāto Bijutsukan-zō : eikoku romanshugi kaigaten = The Romantic tradition in British painting, 1800-1950 : masterpieces from the Victoria and Albert Museum. Japan : Brain Trust, 2002
  • Virginia Surtees, The Paintings and Drawings of Dante Gabriel Rossetti (1828-1882), Oxford, 1971, no. 249C
  • pp. 42-3 Claire Stewart (ed), Lowry & the Pre-Raphaelites. Salford Quays : Lowry Press, 2018. 80 pages : illustrations (black and white, and colour) ; 26 cm. ISBN: 9781902970424
Collection
Prints, Drawings & Paintings Collection
Accession number
490-1883

About this object record

Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.

You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.

Suggest feedback

Record createdDecember 15, 1999
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O13226/study-of-jane-morris-for-drawing-rossetti-dante-gabriel/
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest