Dante Gabriel Rossetti

British poet, illustrator and painter Dante Gabriel Rossetti was born on this day in 1828. Rossetti, who is one of the stars of our upcoming exhibition, was a founder of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood alongside William Holman Hunt and John Everett Millais.

Rossetti’s romantic medievalism inspired a second generation of Pre-Raphaelite painters, most notably William Morris and Edward Burne-Jones. Alongside his art, he was also known to write sonnets to accompany his pictures, and create art to illustrate the poems and literature that inspired him.

Rossetti’s personal life was closely linked to his work, in particular his relationship with his model and muse Jane Morris pictured in two of these portraits from our collection.

You can learn more about their relationship, see these works and much more in ‘Pre-Raphaelites: Drawings & Watercolours’, opening 18 May. Book your tickets today

ashmolean.org/pre-raphaelites