The Raven
Drawing
ca. 1848 (drawn)
ca. 1848 (drawn)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This is a literal illustration of verses 12-14 of the poem 'The Raven', a tale of the supernatural by Edgar Allan Poe, published in 1845.
The raven perches on a bust of Pallas Athene above the door. Ghostly figures of angels--the seraphim of the Bible--are swinging unseen censers to perfume the air. (The presence of an unexplained perfume was often taken as evidence that a ghost or spectre was present). The narrator is seated in the foreground, and a portrait of his lost lover Lenore is faintly visible on the far wall. Rossetti was always interested in the subject of lovers separated by death, and painted versions of many such stories from a range of literary sources, both contemporary and historic.
The raven perches on a bust of Pallas Athene above the door. Ghostly figures of angels--the seraphim of the Bible--are swinging unseen censers to perfume the air. (The presence of an unexplained perfume was often taken as evidence that a ghost or spectre was present). The narrator is seated in the foreground, and a portrait of his lost lover Lenore is faintly visible on the far wall. Rossetti was always interested in the subject of lovers separated by death, and painted versions of many such stories from a range of literary sources, both contemporary and historic.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | The Raven (assigned by artist) |
| Materials and techniques | Pen and ink on paper |
| Brief description | D.G. Rossetti: The Raven (an illustration to Edgar Allan Poe's poem of that name), c.1848 |
| Physical description | To the viewer's right a man is seated with crossed legs looking left. Beside him is a table with a lamp on it. On the other side of the table are some indistinct figures. Above on a ledge to the left a raven is perched. In the background is a bookcase with a picture hanging beside it. |
| Dimensions |
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| Style | |
| Credit line | Given by Mrs Felix Moeller |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Literary reference | Edgar Allan Poe: The Raven (1845) |
| Summary | This is a literal illustration of verses 12-14 of the poem 'The Raven', a tale of the supernatural by Edgar Allan Poe, published in 1845. The raven perches on a bust of Pallas Athene above the door. Ghostly figures of angels--the seraphim of the Bible--are swinging unseen censers to perfume the air. (The presence of an unexplained perfume was often taken as evidence that a ghost or spectre was present). The narrator is seated in the foreground, and a portrait of his lost lover Lenore is faintly visible on the far wall. Rossetti was always interested in the subject of lovers separated by death, and painted versions of many such stories from a range of literary sources, both contemporary and historic. |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | E.3415-1922 |
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| Record created | December 15, 1999 |
| Record URL |
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