=Questions to arouse interest.= What is there about this picture that
suggests a mystery? Where is this lady sitting? What has been brought to
her? Of what is the dove a symbol? the poppy? To what hour does the
sundial point? What can you see in the distance?
=Original picture=: National Gallery of British Art, London.
=Artist=: Dante Gabriel Rossetti.
=Birthplace=: Portland Place, London, England.
=Dates=: Born, 1828; died, 1882.
=The story of the picture.= Long ago, in the age of chivalry, there
lived a beautiful Florentine lady named Beatrice Portinari. A great
poet, Dante, has described her to us from her childhood to her death.
In those days when all true knights served their ladies, and even small
boys were required to choose objects of devotion, it was not strange
that a boy of nine years should choose a little neighbor girl for this
honor. She was only a year younger than he when her father, Folco
Portinari, a rich nobleman of Florence, gave a festival in her honor,
inviting all his neighbors and friends. Dante went with his father. Here
for the first time he met Beatrice, whom he afterwards described as “the
youngest of the angels.”
“‘People called her Beatrice then,’ he explains, ‘without knowing how
truly the name belonged to her, for it means ‘one who blesses.’” The
artist, Rossetti, must have been thinking of this when he named his
picture “Beata Beatrix,” which means “happy or pleasing; one who
blesses.” Beata sometimes has another meaning—“the elect of
Paradise”—and Dante suggests this meaning as he tells us how the people
remarked, as she passed, that “she seemed not to be the daughter of a
mortal man, but of God.” Indeed, he tells us that whoever looked at her
was made better, for all ill thoughts must vanish before her,—“the
destroyer of all evil, and the queen of all good.”
She must have been a fairylike little creature as she moved among her
father’s guests, dressed in deep crimson, with a few beautiful ornaments
which brought out her delicate coloring. At any rate she became the
ideal of the small boy, Dante. He became a poet through this meeting and
from that time on wrote verses to her. We probably never would have
known there was such a person as Beatrice, if he had not told us about
her in his poems. Now she will never be forgotten, for not only the poet
Dante, but the artist Rossetti, made her name immortal.
It was not until nine years after this first meeting that Dante met
Beatrice face to face again. She was walking on the street between two
older women, and turned to greet him pleasantly. Dressed in white this
time, she seemed to him the fairest and most beautiful lady in all
Florence.
This meeting had such an effect upon Dante that he declared he felt as
if he had reached the “furthest limit of blessedness.” Hurrying to his
room, he spent hours in thinking of Beatrice;—finally he fell asleep and
dreamed of her. As soon as he awoke, he commenced a sonnet, which he
addressed, not to her, but to his fellow-poets. It was not until later
that he ventured to address his verses to Beatrice, usually speaking of
her as “my lady.”
After each meeting or new thought of Beatrice, Dante wrote his poems,
until at last he put them all into a book which he called “Vita Nuova,”
meaning “new life.” He declared that from the time of his first meeting
with Beatrice he had begun a new life, and this book would contain the
record of it. Here he tells all his inmost thoughts and feelings, for in
those days it was the fashion for poets to tell of their loves.
So we hear how Dante spent his days and nights thinking of the lovely
Beatrice, until his health began to fail and his friends questioned,
even taunted him, as to the cause. He did not wish them to know who it
was that so affected him, and was wondering how to keep his secret when
an accident showed him the way. As he sat in church looking across to
where his beloved Beatrice sat unconscious of his presence, his glance
was returned by a lady sitting half way between. She thought his glances
were for her. She looked around several times, and other people,
noticing her, soon decided she must be the lady Dante loved. Dante then
decided to use her as a screen, and though he continued to write his
verses to Beatrice, he did so in such a way that all believed they were
directed to the screen lady.
This did very well for several years, until the screen lady moved to
another city. Then Dante chose another screen lady, but she got him into
trouble. False rumors spread rapidly and soon the gentle Beatrice heard
them. So one day, when she passed Dante on the street, she did not give
him the customary greeting. He was nearly heartbroken, for this greeting
was all the recompense he had ever had or hoped to have for his love. He
tells how much it meant to him, how kindly it made him feel toward even
his enemies, and that it was the inspiration and hope of his life.
A friend took him to a wedding feast at which Beatrice was one of the
guests. At the sight of her he grew faint and was obliged to return
home. As he passed a group of women, they stopped him and inquired what
kind of a love his was that made him numb and speechless in the mere
presence of the loved one. He told them that until the day when Beatrice
refused it, the end and aim of his love had been “her salutation”; but
now his desire had changed to something that could not fail him: His
happiness now lay “in the words which praise my lady.”
Is it any wonder then that one so gentle and beautiful as Beatrice, and
to whom the attention of all Florence was directed by the adoration of
so beloved a poet as Dante, should become a kind of goddess or queen in
that city? Dante tells us that people came to the corners of the streets
to see her pass. Her companions, too, were honored for her sake, and it
seemed as if Beatrice herself was “the only creature in Florence unaware
of her own perfections.” It gave him the most exquisite pleasure to
think that he had helped bring this about.
At the death of Beatrice’s father, Dante’s grief was almost as deep as
for his own father, and he remained near the house in the vain hope that
he might comfort his lady in some way. Shortly after this, Dante became
very ill, and as he thought of death, he realized that some day his
beloved Beatrice must die. The thought drove him into a frenzy of
despair; and when at last he fell asleep, it was only to dream of her
approaching death. This dream proved to be a true omen, for only once
more was Dante permitted to see his Beatrice; then one day as he was
composing a sonnet to her, the news of her death was brought to him. He
was prostrated with grief, and it was some time before he could write
again.
Dante was then twenty-seven years old, and left, as he said, “to
ruminate on death, and envy whomsoever dies.” To console himself he read
religious philosophy, and from thinking of Beatrice as a saint upon
earth, he began to think of her in heaven in company with saints and
angels. And so almost before he knew it he had started to write his
masterpiece, “The Divine Comedy.” In this, Beatrice, still the object of
his adoration, leads him from circle to circle in Paradise, and for the
first time we hear her speak.
It is strange how very little is known of Beatrice from other sources.
Beyond the fact of her birth and parentage little is given. Many
authorities state she was the wife of Simone de’ Bardi, but as many
vigorously deny this. Dante does not mention her marriage, and indeed
gives us quite the opposite impression.
Dante has represented his Beatrice as so perfect, so absolutely without
fault in every way, that many have questioned whether she was a real
woman or an ideal. Perhaps the doubt as to her reality started when
people began to ask more about her and her interest in Dante. Living in
Florence, she must have known of his devotion, yet we have no way of
knowing whether she knew or not. And then we are permitted to see
Beatrice only at a distance, and usually surrounded by her bodyguard of
gentle ladies. We know how she affected other people, the beauty and
sweetness of her presence, yet we are never brought close enough to see
even the hint of an imperfection of any kind. And the poet himself does
not address his poems directly to her, but “to other poetic souls who
will understand.”
Yet who can read his “Vita Nuova” and fail to be convinced that Beatrice
was an actual woman? Here we find her beautiful, gentle, modest, and
smiling, walking with others, prayerful in church, weeping at funerals,
and merry at festivals. All the little events of her life, and even the
peace of her death, are sympathetically told by one who knew her to be
real, yet has made her truly ideal.
The “Vita Nuova” was written in Italian, and one of the best English
translations was made by Rossetti, who painted this picture as one of
the many illustrations for the book. No one could have been more in
sympathy with this subject than Rossetti; both because of his great
admiration for Dante, and because he had suffered a similar affliction
in the loss of his beloved wife.
Dante sought to prove in verse that death is but passing from one world
into another, and Rossetti wished to show Beatrice in that transition
stage, or swoon, in which she is about to pass into another life. In his
own words Rossetti tells us, “The picture illustrates the ‘Vita Nuova,’
embodying symbolically the death of Beatrice as treated in that work.
The picture is not intended at all to represent death, but to render it
under the semblance of a trance in which Beatrice, seated at a balcony
overlooking the city, is suddenly rapt from earth to heaven.”
We are supposed to be in an adjoining room in the home of Beatrice, and
to be looking out upon the balcony where she is sitting. Her closed
eyes, half-closed lips, and listless hands make her appear to be half
sleeping, half waking, yet conscious of some heavenly vision we cannot
see. The dove, crowned with a halo to show that it is a heavenly
messenger, brings the poppy to Beatrice. This flower is the symbol of
death; the dark heart of the flower stands for mystery and the white
petals for purity.
The sundial represents the hour as close at hand. Dante was quite
superstitious about the number nine, and in his book refers to that
number so often that this picture would not be complete without some
indication of it. He was nine years old when he met Beatrice; nine years
later he received her salutation; it was usually on the ninth hour that
he saw or dreamed of her; and it was at the ninth hour that she passed
away.
As we glance away from Beatrice, beyond the balcony we catch a glimpse
of the Florence in which she lived, with its river Arno, its bridge, and
some of the towers and palaces in the dim distance. The two figures
gazing sadly at one another represent Dante and Love. In his “Vita
Nuova,” Dante always speaks of Love as an actual person appearing to him
in different forms. First he appeared as a traveler dressed in coarse
clothes; then as a youth in white who came and sat on the edge of his
bed and comforted him; and on those rare occasions when Dante saw
Beatrice he was always present. Dressed in vermilion in this picture, he
stands holding a flaming heart and pointing upward, as if he would
beckon Dante to follow. Critics generally agree that the figure of Love
in this picture represents the spiritual Beatrice, who beckons Dante to
follow as she passes upward. Dante, dressed in scholarly gown, gazes
fixedly at the figure as if he would not fail to get the message.
The colors in which this picture is painted add much to its air of
mystery. The purplish tints of late sunset linger in the distant view of
the city and bring out the golden auburn hair of Beatrice, suggesting a
halo made radiant against the twilight distance. Yet Rossetti has been
very careful to make Beatrice appear as a real person and not as a
vision. To accomplish this, he has made the figure stand out clearly
against the brilliant light, yet lost in the half shadows of the
balcony, so she appears to be both of this world and of the next. He has
represented life and death again in the colors of her dress,—green and
purple. She wears a loose-fitting green garment over a purple dress. The
bird is a deep rose color. It carries the purplish white poppy to her
lap.
This picture of Beata Beatrix is dated 1863, but was not finished until
two years later. Nine years afterwards, Rossetti painted a copy of it,
adding the meeting of Beatrice and Dante in Paradise. He painted several
other copies, but none of them have been considered equal to this first
picture. The original was painted in oils and sold to Lord Mount Temple,
whose widow gave it as a memorial to the National Gallery, London, where
it now hangs.
Rossetti designed nearly all the frames for his pictures, because he
liked to show on them some of the things that suggested the picture. He
took unusual pains in designing the frame for this painting. On the
sides are circles showing clouds, stars, and skies, representing the two
worlds. Below the painting he has printed the date of the death of
Beatrice, June 9, 1290, and a quotation in Latin from the Bible
illustrating the effect of her death upon Florence:
“How doth the city sit solitary, that was full of people!
How is she become as a widow! She that was great among the nations!”
=Questions to help the pupil understand the picture.= Of whom is this a
picture? Where did she live? By whom was she made famous? How? Explain
the meaning of her name, and the name of this picture. Why were these
names appropriate? In what age did Beatrice live? What influence did
chivalry have upon Dante? When and where did Dante and Beatrice meet?
How old were they? What was the result of this first meeting? Tell about
the next meeting and its effect. What is the “Vita Nuova,” and why was
it written? Tell about the screen ladies. How was Dante punished? What
was the end and aim of his love for Beatrice? How was Beatrice regarded
in Florence? why? What was Dante’s dream? Of what was it an omen? What
was the effect of Beatrice’s death upon Dante? Why do some people think
Beatrice was not a real woman? What is your opinion? Why did Rossetti
wish to paint this picture? Does it represent death or life? Where is
Beatrice sitting? Describe the picture; its coloring. What part has the
number nine in the life of Beatrice? Explain the figures in the
background. Where is the original painting? How is it framed?
=The story of the artist.= Daniel Gabriel Rossetti was the eldest son of
Gabriele Rossetti, a poet and Italian exile. Gabriel, for that was the
name he was usually called, was born at Portland Place, London, and had
two sisters and one brother. He was first sent to a private school, then
to King’s College School. When he was but fourteen, because of his
marked ability to draw he was sent to Cary’s Art Academy. Here he did so
well that three years later he gained admission to the Royal Academy
Antique School.
He was only twenty years old when with some other young artists he
started a new art movement which they agreed, half in jest, to call
Pre-Raphaelitism. They themselves were called Pre-Raphaelites. When they
began to exhibit their paintings, they were very severely criticized and
ridiculed; but a popular young art critic of that day, John Ruskin, came
to their aid by writing a long letter in which he praised them heartily.
This letter was published and turned the tide of popular opinion.
Meanwhile, Rossetti was developing his literary talents, his writings
being published in the leading magazines of that time.
One day a young artist friend of Rossetti’s went with his mother into a
millinery shop, where, glancing through an open door, he saw a number of
young girls at work. Among them was one who had the beautiful reddish
auburn hair which was the favorite color among the Pre-Raphaelites. The
young man persuaded his mother to ask the girl if she would pose for
him. The girl’s name was Elizabeth Siddall, and from posing for this
friend she soon became acquainted with other artists, among them,
Rossetti. She showed considerable artistic ability herself, and it is
said that John Ruskin, wishing her to give up her trade and devote
herself to art, promised to buy all the pictures she could paint, if she
would study with Rossetti. This delighted Rossetti, who felt more than
interested in this new pupil.
Judging from the paintings Rossetti made of her at this time she must
have been a beautiful young girl. Besides her good looks she must have
had a brilliant mind, for she learned rapidly, and soon became not only
a good artist but a writer and judge of good literature. Then she
discovered that her education had been much neglected, so with
Rossetti’s and Ruskin’s help she went away to school to perfect herself.
She did this because she believed she would then be able to help
Rossetti more in his work. When she returned to London, they were
married.
Their marriage was a very happy one, but hardly two years had passed
when the young wife died.
During these two years Rossetti was inspired in his work in art and
literature by his beautiful wife, and it was at her request that he
copied the poems he had addressed to her into a little book which she
had given to him for that purpose. Overcome by grief at her death,
Rossetti wrapped this volume in his wife’s beautiful hair as she lay in
her coffin, and so it was buried with her.
Seven years later he was persuaded to secure this book again, and its
publication brought him much honor. But he felt much remorse because he
had permitted the grave to be opened, and, some very severe and unkind
criticisms coming to him at this time, his health began to fail. He
found he could not sleep, and although he knew their terrible effects,
he commenced taking narcotics. All the rest of Rossetti’s life was spent
in a constant struggle against them until at last they conquered in his
death.
It is not strange that Rossetti should have been interested in Dante and
his writings. Rossetti’s father was so great an admirer of Dante that he
named his son for him, and wrote many articles about him. Rossetti’s
sister, too, wrote a book about Dante, his life and works, which she
called “The Shadow of Dante.”
You can easily see how, after the death of his wife, the story of the
death of Beatrice would affect Rossetti; and it is little wonder that
the Beatrice of the “Beata Beatrix” should resemble his own wife.
However, he did not intend this as a portrait of his wife, but only
meant to show that love continues after death, and that what men call
death is but a swooning into another life. Nearly all of Rossetti’s
paintings are connected more or less with the tragedy of his own life,
and through them we come to understand what that life must have been.
He painted many literary subjects, and among those illustrating the life
of Dante and Beatrice are:
“Il Saluto di Beatrice,” which represents the meeting of Beatrice and
Dante first in a street of Florence, and then in Paradise.
“Dante Drawing the Angel”—a year after Beatrice’s death Dante observed
the anniversary by drawing the angel which represented Beatrice.
“Beatrice at the Wedding Feast, Denying her Salutation to Dante.”
“Dante’s Dream.” This is the largest picture Rossetti ever painted.
Other paintings are: “The Blessed Damozel,” “The Spirit of the Rainbow,”
“Forced Music,” “The Bower Meadow,” “The Beloved.”
=Questions about the artist.= Where was Rossetti born? For whom was he
named? Of what nationality was his father? Where was Rossetti educated?
In what did he excel? What new art movement did he help to start? What
was their success? Who was Elizabeth Siddall? How did she happen to
study with Rossetti? What did she become? Tell about her life, marriage,
and death. What did Rossetti bury with her? When did he recover the
book? What caused his ill health? his death? Why did the death of
Beatrice appeal to him? Whom did she resemble in this picture? What
thought did Rossetti wish to express? What other pictures of Beatrice
did he paint?
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