Portrait of William Michael Rossetti
1853
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
1853
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
Portrait of William Michael Rossetti is a 1853 by Christina Georgina Rossetti, a Romanticism work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.
This is a simple pencil sketch of a young man with soft curls and a serious look. His coat is barely there—just a few quick lines. Christina Rossetti drew this of her brother William when she was only about twenty-three. She was already writing poems that would make her famous, but she also tried her hand at art. This quiet portrait is one of the few drawings she didn’t destroy. If you like the way she handles light and shadow, look up *sfumato*.
The youngest of four children in the artistic Rossetti family, Christina Rossetti lived on the periphery of the Pre-Raphaelite movement, occasionally modeling for her brother Dante Gabriel Rossetti, and submitting her poetry to the brotherhood’s journal, The Germ . Before achieving acclaim as a poet with works such as Goblin Market and Monna Innominata , she briefly considered pursuing a career as an artist. This portrait of her brother William is one of her few surviving drawings. In the spare profile, the figure’s eyes are downcast, as though reading or in private reverie, perhaps in…
Christina and William Rossetti shared a strong emotional bond. Employed as a civil servant, William provided financial stability that allowed Christina to pursue poetry.
Read the full account in the museum source.
Christina Georgina Rossetti (1830–1894) was a British artist.
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