Rossetti, Dante Gabriel, 1828-1882

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"I am sorry to hear from my friend Mr. Rose that his presentation is gone, as I feared, and that he will not have another for three years. Thanks for the list of Governors. The only one I can see who seems at all within reach is Mr. Russell Gurney, but Munro is very intimate in the family. Tomorrow is I believe Munro's wedding-day, as you perhaps know -- or supposing not tomorrow it will be very soon. So he must be busy enough, but I will write him a word."

Scope and Contents: Rossetti apologizes for his delayed response to Heaton's last letter. He wishes Heaton a merry Christmas. Rossetti says that if he had known that his response would be delayed, he would have written to Heaton to say that he was not sure about the price of the St George watercolour until he was further along with it. He admits that he has been unable to work much on the piece due to other commissions ill health of his wife, Elizabeth Siddall, which prevented her from sitting for the work. He...

Scope and Contents: Rossetti is saddened by the death of Mrs. Plint and asked how her children will be looked after. He asks Heaton when the children will be able to benefit from the sale of their mother's collection. Rossetti expresses his happiness that his St George was liked by Ruskin but that he would not make the sale of any of his works dependent on Ruskin's approval. Rossetti says he is offering Heaton the St George at a price "certainly below...

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"I write according to promise to tell you that I have now 2 water colour drawings finished: After The Ninth Hour, which you saw begun, and Bethlehem Gate, for which you saw a design. In case you would like to pay me a visit and see them, I would appoint Friday or Saturday next at 11 pm or an earlier hour if such would suit you."

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Rossetti thanks Heaton for giving him information regarding Ruskin's whereabouts, saying that he "had but a poor account of him" from Ned Jones. Rossetti says he will be happy to receive a visit from Heaton and Mrs. (Emelia?) Gurney and asks Heaton to give him a suitable time for her visit. Rossetti tells Heaton that Robert Browning was very pleased with Bethlehem Gate and says that he intends to revisit the Virgin's face in the work.

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"I shall be very glad to see you tomorrow at 12. I have just received an extremely nice but I am sorry to say not very hopeful letter from Mr. Ruskin."

Scope and Contents: Rossetti tells Heaton that he has sent St. George and Princess Sabra to Green and so cannot further alter it, saying that he thought it was better with the previous changes. Rossetti admits that he cannot tell Heaton exactly what Mr. Ruskin said of the piece because he can't remember Ruskin's comments except that "the picture pleased him decidedly." Rossetti promises to mention the "matter of the presentation" to his friend Mr. Rose. Rossetti is...

Scope and Contents: Rossetti describes a "Dantesque" subject (Beata Beatrix) he thinks might be suitable for Heaton's latest commission. It is Beatrice seated by a sundial showing the hour of nine o'clock. Rossetti says that nine is an important number in relation to Beatrice in the Vita Nuova, with Dante meeting her at nine years old, Beatrice dying at nine o'clock on 9 June 1290 and with Dante describing Beatrice as a "nine" (the...

Scope and Contents: Rossetti tells Heaton he can offer Heaton a picture of Helen (since she is no longer the subject of his commission for Mr. Rose) or Beatrice. Rossetti can begin the work straight away and gives the price for the piece as 120 guineas, 50 to be paid at the commencement of the work, 35 when presented in advance of completion and 35 upon delivery. Rossetti does not doubt that he can complete it before Heaton leaves London, if he can begin work on it immediately. Rossetti says that Jeptha's...

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Rossetti suggests that Heaton and Mrs. Gurney postpone their visit until he is better prepared as he does not have much work to show them. Rossetti says he will have more work, including "your Beatrice," at a more advanced stage later (actually a reference to The Beloved -- see Fredeman). Rossetti tells Heaton he will arrange an appointment for Heaton to meet Mr. Rose when Rose visits Rossetti the following day.

Scope and Contents: Rossetti thanks Heaton for sending a pamphlet by Edmund Bates and expresses his pleasure that Bates enjoys his picture. Rossetti says he is concerned about his St John and is impatient to correct it. He admits that he made a similar mistake with another watercolor through "incautious use of red lead." Rossetti asks Heaton if she could send him the work. Rossetti is happy in his new home and says he would be glad to show Heaton his old one. He has not...

Scope and Contents: Rossetti has received word from his Christina Rossetti that Heaton would like a copy of one of the photos Rossetti has recently taken of Ruskin. Rossetti says he will send Heaton one, once they are printed but requests that she keeps it strictly in her possession, as a matter of legality. Rossetti is a little perturbed with Heaton's Beatrice painting, as the model he has employed to sit for the work differs in appearance from Beatrice's described appearance. Rossetti asks if he can change...

Scope and Contents: Rossetti promises Heaton that he has not forgotten her photograph of Ruskin but that he does not have one to send her at present. He tells Heaton Tuesday would be best for her to visit him, and offers a time of 5:30 pm or before 11am. Rossetti says that the Beatrice must be turned into Solomon's Bride and states that he will title the work The King's Daughter (i.e. The Beloved). Rossetti thinks that Heaton will still want the piece but,...

Scope and Contents: Rossetti apologizes for his delayed response; he has been in Brighton for two days. Rossetti admits he sent Heaton's drawing without a case (which had gone missing) and trusted his frame-maker to pack it carefully. Rossetti regrets that he will not have the two additional figures included in his picture by the end of the following week, as he has many earlier deadlines for other works. Rossetti apologizes if this means that Heaton will not be able to view the work before she leaves London...

Scope and Contents: Rossetti asks Heaton to loan him her drawing of Dante's Dream as he wishes to begin an oil painting on the same subject. He promises he will only ask for it once he is able to start the work immediately and will return it, along with an additional sketch, once the oil work has been started. Rossetti admits that he has not being doing much work with regards to The Beloved and that he will notify Heaton as soon as he does. Rossetti says he...

Scope and Contents: Rossetti admits he still does not know exactly when he will need Dante's Dream but that it is likely he will require it before the end of the month. He says he will write as soon as he knows the exact time. Rossetti is perturbed by Heaton's reports of changes in his drawing and hopes that they are a result of the positioning of the pieces or how Heaton is looking at them. He says the "darkened" white in the St George should be...

Scope and Contents: Rossetti expresses his happiness that Heaton's "charming class of critics" like his work and says he is happy to show any of them his studio. Rossetti says he has heard from Ruskin, who is en route to England. Rossetti is making two Dante drawings for Lady Ashburton, jointly titled The salutation of Beatrice, which are similarly composed to works Rossetti showed Heaton in oil. These works are in watercolor. Rossetti describes a piece he is currently...

Scope and Contents: Rossetti tells Heaton he will return the Bethlehem Gate piece she has sent to him as he cannot detect "any alteration whatever" in the work. Rossetti similarly finds Dante's dream unchanged but says he knows how he can revise it and greatly improve it. He states he can heighten its colour and removed the "stiffness, smallness of execution" in the work but that it would take a week or a fortnight to change and could...

Scope and Contents: Rossetti says he has not made any alterations to Dante's dream except to make Dante's feet smaller, "they being (I know not by what hallucination on my part) of the canoe class in shape and size." Rossetti agrees it is better to remain unchanged. Rossetti has not yet used the picture and asks if Heaton will allow him to keep it a little longer, especially as she intends to "defer its return ... for a much less important object -- namely its loan to...

Scope and Contents: Rossetti has received an offer for The beloved and asks Heaton if she is no longer interested in the work. He says he has done no further work to the piece but has extended his plans for it so he can no longer paint it for 200 guineas, the price he first named for Heaton. Rossetti asks if he could paint her something else and says he has not forgotten the £50 she has given him for a painting of Beatrice. Rossetti has found a partly completed picture of his wife in...