Dante Gabriel Rossetti, by Lewis Carroll

Dante Gabriel Rossetti

Lewis Carroll (Charles Lutwidge Dodgson) (1832-98)

Albumen print, 7 October 1863

5 3/4 in. x 4 3/4 in. (146 mm x 121 mm)

Purchased 1977

Courtesy of the National Portrait Gallery, London

This was probably taken on the same occasion as the one on which Dodgson photographed the family group, including Rossetti's mother and siblings [Click on the image to enlarge it, and mouse over the text for links. Commentary continues below.]

Morton Cohen explains that in early October 1863 Dodgson was staying with the sculptor Alexander Munro, who took him to see the Rossettis. Dante Gabriel was "most hospitable in his offers of the use of house and garden for picture-taking" (Cohen 240) and he was able to take two pictures of Christina, and one of Rossetti himself. Dodgson wrote in his Dairy, "I afterwards looked through a huge volume of drawings, some of which l am to photograph — a great treat, as I had never seen such exquisite drawing before. I dined with Mr. Rossetti, and spent some of the evening there.... A memorable day" (qtd. in Cohen 240). He returned the next day and photographed the whole family, subsequently photographing Rossetti's drawings and one of his models. The contact with the Rossettis proved useful, introducing him to Swinburne and others. Rossetti looks relaxed and genial in this portrait, which gives a flavour of the pleasant visit. — Jacqueline Banerjee

Related Material

Bibliography

Cohen, Morton N. Lewis Carroll: A Biography. London: Macmillan, 1995.

Created 12 May 2015