JANE MORRIS
The pre Raphaelite model of beauty
By Debra Mancoff
She was tall, long haired, with eyes of deep slate grey, ringed by thick lashes and strong defined brows. Shortly before turning into 18, her looks caught the eye of Dante Gabriel Rossetti. He persuaded her to pose for him and so started her induction into the brotherhood of the pre Raphaelites. She married William Morris but within a decade of her marriage, and following the death of his wife, Rossetti embraced her as his muse. She dominated Rossetti’s art and his life until she ended their affair and returned to William and family in London. Morris welcomed her back without judgement or reprimand. Mancoff takes us through her life and loves in this study of Victorian art and culture.

Tags: long, haired, deep, slate, grey, lashes, strong, defined