Lady Lilith — Dante Gabriel Rossetti

ABOUT THIS WORK

A cascade of golden hair dominates this striking watercolor, as a woman gazes into a hand-mirror, seemingly lost in her own reflection. This is Lady Lilith, a figure from ancient Judaic myth, traditionally known as Adam's first wife and a powerful temptress. The painting, originally begun in oil in 1866 with Rossetti's mistress Fanny Cornforth as the model, was later revised to feature the face of Alexa Wilding. Rossetti created this large watercolor replica in 1867, retaining Cornforth's face. The work is considered a prime example of the "mirror picture" genre, where women contemplate their own beauty, a theme that influenced many artists of the period. The crowded, almost depthless space, with its blend of interior and exterior elements reflected in the mirror, creates an unreal atmosphere.

DETAILS

Artist: Dante Gabriel Rossetti
Date: 1866
Location: Metropolitan Museum of Art

ART MOVEMENTS

Aestheticism Arts and Crafts movement Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood Symbolism

LOOK CLOSER

What to Notice

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01

Her self-absorbed gaze

Her face tilts down and to the side, cool and distant, and her eyes seem fixed on the mirror rather than on us. The pose gives her self-regard a quiet, commanding presence.

1 of 5 on the painting

02

Flowing red-gold hair

Follow the heavy waves of copper hair spilling over her shoulder as she drags a comb through it. Rossetti makes the hair the main event, and it ties to the idea of seductive beauty in Lilith's legend.

2 of 5 on the painting

03

The hand mirror

The dark oval hand mirror in her lowered hand shows only a blank, inky surface with a faint pattern on its back. It fits the theme of beauty absorbed in itself.

3 of 5 on the painting

04

White roses behind her

A dense bank of pale roses crowds the upper right. They fill the space behind her so there is little sense of depth, and the flowers add to the lush, sensual mood.

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05

Window and candles

In the arched mirror at upper left, candles stand in front of a green garden. Room and outdoors are squeezed into one flattened, dreamlike view.

5 of 5 on the painting

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THE ARTIST

Dante Gabriel Rossetti

1828–1882 · United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland

Dante Gabriel Rossetti, a founding member of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, blended poetry and painting to create evocative, symbolic works like "Beata Beatrix."

Read Rossetti’s full story