Taking inspiration from Shakespeare, Dante Gabriel Rossetti painted his muse Jane Morris as Mariana from the Bard of Avon’s play Measure for Measure.
Mariana is a young lady who was betrothed to Angelo. However, after her family’s wealth is lost, Angelo breaks his promise to marry her and lies to everyone, saying that she was unfaithful.
Dante Gabriel Rossetti likely intended the theme to echo Jane’s real-life dilemma. While the talented embroiderer was married to poet and social activist William Morris, she became very close to Rossetti.
Here, Jade Flannery, museum assistant with Aberdeen Art Gallery And Museums, tells us more about the artist, his muse Jane Morris and the stunning oil painting.
Two-Minute Masterpiece is a series featuring the north-east’s art treasures. Telling the stories of these works – and sharing their love for them – are the people who see them every day, the staff at the galleries or museums where they are held.
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Two-Minute Masterpiece: Life imitates art in Rossetti’s stunning work
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