All About Dante’s Dream by Dante Gabriel Rossetti

Title of Artwork: “Dante’s Dream”

Artwork by Dante Gabriel Rossetti

Year Created 1871

Summary of Dante’s Dream

Dante’s Dream (full title Dante’s Dream at the Time of Beatrice’s Death) is an 1871 painting by English Pre-Raphaelite painter Dante Gabriel Rossetti. It is on display at the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool, Merseyside, England.

Rossetti was a lifelong admirer of Italian poet Dante Alighieri. Dante’s poem La Vita Nuova inspired the painting. In this poem, Dante dreams of being led to the deathbed of his unfulfilled love, Beatrice Portinari. Dante, dressed in black, stands facing the dying Beatrice, who is lying on a bed. Two green female figures hold a canopy over her. Dante’s hand is held by an angel in red, who leans forward to kiss Beatrice.

All About Dante’s Dream by Dante Gabriel Rossetti

Rossetti creates a visionary world with complex symbols in the painting. The green clothing of Beatrice’s attendants represents hope; spring flowers in the foreground represent purity; and red doves represent love.

It is Rossetti’s largest work. Jane Morris, William Morris’ wife, was the model for Beatrice. Annie Miller, thought to be one of Rossetti’s mistresses, posed as a bereaved handmaiden. In 1881, the Walker Art Gallery purchased the painting directly from the artist for £1575 (equivalent to £150,000 in 2016). Hall Caine, a Victorian novelist, negotiated the purchase. It was sent to Berlin for photography in 1897, but it was later noted to be “in a dirty condition.” The painting was noted to be in “a bad condition” again in 1904, and it was thought that its condition had been exacerbated by its journey to and from Berlin. The painting was sent to the National Gallery in London in 1908 to be relined, which meant that a new canvas was glued to the original. After that, it was returned to Liverpool. During WWII, it was removed from its stretcher, rolled, and stored in the gallery’s basement. The painting, along with other large paintings from the gallery, was moved to Ellesmere College in Shropshire in 1941. It was discovered that it had suffered some damage at this point. Conservation work on the painting was done in 1960 and 1985.

Dante’s Dream is an oil on canvas painting that measures 216 centimetres (85 in) by 312.4 centimetres (123 in). It was inspected in 2003 and found to be in good condition, with no evidence of the previous problems recurring.