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Pen and Ink Drawing - Love's Mirror or a Parable of Love

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© Birmingham Museums and Art Gallery

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Basic Information

Accession Number:1904P491
Collection:Fine Art Prints and Drawings
Date:1850 - 1852

Maker Information

Artist:Dante Gabriel Rossetti - View biography for Dante Gabriel Rossetti

Notes

The simple message of the 'parable' is that while the young man assists his beloved with her self-portrait, the mirror ('Love's Mirror') improves on art by reflecting an image of the two lovers together. Whether the features of the woman are meant to be those of Elizabeth Siddal is unclear, but the subject can be read as a romanticised image of her in the dual role of Rossetti's model and pupil in the earliest days of their relationship. These is no contemporary reference to this drawing, although it is known to have belonged to the poet Coventry Patmore (possibly as a gift from the artist), who was an intimate associate of the Pre-Raphalites. The model for the young man in the drawing may have been Thomas Woolner.

Purchased and presented by subscribers, 1903.

Further Information

Production Period:19th century
Medium:Black pen and ink over pencil, with ink wash, on paper.
Material(s):Paper

Associated People

Dimensions

Height:195 mm
Width:175 mm