Rosetti's Venus Verticordia
Masterpieces of Provocative Art
Rosetti's Venus Verticordia
Masterpieces of Provocative ArtMasterpieces of Provocative Art
“Venus Verticordia”
THE REBEL ARTIST
A painter and poet, Dante Gabriel Rossetti was one of art history's most influential and rebellious figures – inspiring not only his contemporaries but generations of new artists from Claude Debussy to Jimi Page.
He first stepped into the public eye as a founding member of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, a group of young artists intent on revolutionising the art world. It was only after distancing himself from the Brotherhood, however, that he found a style all his own one that gained him fame, wealth and notoriety.
A NEW VISION
Venus Verticordia is often seen as a turning point towards a new period in Rossetti’s work, characterised by sensual brush strokes and motifs.
Seductive women with red hair star in these paintings, the type one would later call the Femme Fatale: a demonised portrayal of ‘dangerous’ women with unconcealed erotic appetites. Venus Verticordia imagines Venus, the goddess of love, not as a bringer of romanticism and joy – but of carnal desire, love’s pains and dangers, and a reminder of the fleeting nature of beauty and pleasure.
A DEEPER MEANING
A TROUBLED HEART
Who was Rossetti in 1863, when he began to paint Venus Verticordia?
For one thing, he was a man acquainted with the pains of love and lust: his wife Lizzie Siddal had recently died of a Laudanum overdose, following a troubled marriage. Anguished, Rossetti believed he could never write again and slipped a manuscript of his poems into her casket. But by 1869, he had grown cynical. He remembered his poems and secretly had his dead wife exhumed. A doctor disinfected the booklet, which worms had already eaten away at, and Rossetti went on to publish them in the 1870 volume Poems.
MORE THAN A PAINTING
Dante Gabriel Rossetti, "Venus Verticordia" (1864)She hath the apple in her hand for thee,
Yet almost in her heart would hold it back;
She muses, with her eyes upon the track
Of that which in thy spirit they can see.
Haply, ‘Behold, he is at peace,’ saith she;
‘Alas! the apple for his lips,—the dart
That follows its brief sweetness to his heart,—
The wandering of his feet perpetually!’
A little space her glance is still and coy;
But if she give the fruit that works her spell,
Those eyes shall flame as for her Phrygian boy.
Then shall her bird's strained throat the woe foretell,
And her far seas moan as a single shell,
And her grove glow with love-lit fires of Troy.
One of the poems that appeared in the volume was Venus, later renamed Venus Verticordia, and conceived in tandem with the painting.
Although he is mainly remembered as a painter, Rossetti was equally adept as a poet. In his dual works such as Venus Verticordia, poetry and painting enrich each other and can yet stand alone:
At the time he painted Venus Verticordia and wrote the accompanying poem, Rossetti cultivated his image as an eccentric aesthete, which the financial success of his provocative paintings allowed him to do.
He collected rare antiques and kept an exotic menagerie of pets. Lizards, salamanders, kangaroos and even a wombat lived on his grounds, while the shrill cries of peacocks from his gardens upset the neighbours.
THE LEGACY OF A PROVOCATEUR
The provocative nature of Rossetti’s work clashed with Victorian notions of morality.
Yet it was precisely this fearlessness, coupled with his imaginative talent, that fascinated his contemporaries – and continues to fascinate.
Signature border
We designed our signature border like a picture frame to highlight the artwork at its finest. For the Venus Verticordia, we chose a rosewood color with subtle pastel pink and yellow embellishments. It's recognisable, and you can choose to let it subtly complement or boldly pop.
Quality in Every Detail
For the creation of our pieces, we prioritize quality above all—quality for the piece, nature, and the artisans involved.
For this design we work with a traditional UK printer that champions sustainability, and delivers exceptional craftsmanship.
To represent the fine details in the design, we select lightweight mulberry twill silk. When cared for with love, it will last a lifetime.
This piece is finished traditionally with a hand-rolled edge in French, adding another layer of elegance to its detail.
Rosetti's Venus Verticordia
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