The Prince’s Progress

The Prince’s Progress

Artist: Dante Gabriel Rossetti

1865

Pen and ink, pencil

155 x 73 mm

This study is one of Rossetti’s experiments with the Prince’s gestures, with his left hand over his face, as he responds to news of the Princess’s death. It is undeniably moving, though in the final version (fig. 7), the artist chooses to activate the character’s right hand, a change that intensifies the effect by bringing the gesture closer to the picture plane and makes it intrude into the viewer’s space.

Image from the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery Picture Library. Reproduced under the terms of Creative Commons. Caption material and formatting by Simon Cooke.

[You may use this image without prior permission for any scholarly or educational purpose as long as you credit Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery.