Veronica Veronese

Veronica Veronese is an oil on canvas that Dante Gabriel Rossetti painted in 1872, during the later phase of his work within the Pre-Raphaelite circle. Alexa Wilding posed for the figure, one of several women who appear repeatedly in Rossetti's paintings. The portrait shows a young woman caught in the moment before she plays her violin. She holds the bow beside an instrument that belonged to Rossetti's own collection of musical instruments, while her left hand moves across the strings in search of a melody that still eludes her.

The scene presents inspiration as a brief moment of stillness. A caged bird and a free one, set beside flowers rich in meaning, form a symbolic vocabulary that is fairly easy to read. The freed bird has been linked to the union of the voices of nature and the soul, and the camomile in the cage may stand for energy in adversity. Primroses suggest youth and daffodils suggest reflection. The green dress was lent by Jane Morris, and the fan hanging at the waist also appears in Monna Vanna.

The painting draws on Venetian art, as much of Rossetti's work from the 1860s and 1870s does. The quotation inscribed on its frame, which speaks of the artistic soul at the moment of creation, is presented as coming from the letters of Girolamo Ridolfi. Critics believe it was in fact written by Algernon Charles Swinburne or by Rossetti himself, a reminder of how easily invented texts can pass for genuine sources.

The work's ownership history is also notable. Rossetti sold it to the shipping magnate Frederick Richards Leyland, who hung it in his drawing room alongside other paintings by the artist. After passing through several hands, it entered the collection of Samuel Bancroft, whose estate donated it to the Delaware Art Museum in 1935. It remains a representative example of the Pre-Raphaelites' interest in Venetian painting and in musical and symbolic themes.

Painter

Dante Gabriel Rossetti

Date

1872

Medium

oil paint, canvas

Dimensions

43 × 35 cm

Museum

Delaware Art Museum, Delaware

Movement

Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood

Genre

portrait

Depicts

Alexa Wilding

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