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Proserpine by Dante Gabriel Rossetti is one of those images that never dates. Our studio recreates it as a hand painted oil painting — textured, color-rich, and ready to hang as canvas wall art in a hallway, study, or reception area.
1877
Oil on canvas
125.1 cm (49.25 in.) x 61 cm (24.02 in.)
Tate Britain, London, United Kingdom.
Rossetti explained the subject of Proserpine in a letter to W.A. Turner, who bought a version of the picture in 1877:
The figure represents Proserpine as Empress of Hades. After she was conveyed by Pluto to his realm, and became his bride, her mother Ceres importuned Jupiter for her return to earth, and he was prevailed on to consent to this, provided only she had not partaken of any of the fruits of Hades. It was found, however, that she had eaten one grain of a pomegranate, and this enchained her to her new empire and destiny. She is represented in a gloomy corridor of her palace, with the fatal fruit in her hand. As she passes, a gleam strikes on the wall behind her form some inlet suddenly opened, and admitting for a moment the light of the upper world; and she glances furtively towards it, immersed in thought.
(W. Sharp, Dante Gabriel Rossetti: A Record and Study, London 1882, p.236)
Rossetti painted Proserpine at William Morris' Kelmscott manor, with Morris' wife Jane as the model. Eight oil versions were made, although few of them remain to this day. This one appears to be the one which belonged to Mr. Turner.
In the lower left corner of the painting is Rossetti's signature and date on a scroll - 'DANTE GABRIELE ROSSETTI RITRASSE NEL CAPODANNO DEL 1874' ('Dante Gabriel Rossetti painted this at the beginning of 1874'). He composed a sonnet for the painting, inscribing it in Italian on the painting and in English on the frame:
Afar away the light that brings cold cheer
Unto this wall, - one instant and no more
Admitted at my distant palace-door.
Afar the flowers of Enna from this drear
Dire fruit, which, tasted once, must thrall me here.
Afar those skies from this Tartarean grey
That chills me: and afar, how far away,
The nights that shall be from the days that were.
Afar from mine own self I seem, and wing
Strange ways in thought, and listen for a sign:
And still some heart unto some soul doth pine,
(Whose sounds mine inner sense in fain to bring,
Continually together murmuring,) -
"Woe's me for thee, unhappy Proserpine!"
The fine art subject is rebuilt stroke by stroke in oil, giving the finished canvas the depth expected of timeless oil painting wall decor.
This is a genuine hand painted oil painting, not a canvas print. Our painters match the palette of Proserpine by eye and build up the fine art forms in thin layers, which is what gives the finished fine art oil painting its luminosity.
Hang this fine art oil painting above a sofa, console, or bed to give a hallway an instant focal point. Its timeless palette works with both minimalist and period interiors, and the piece also makes a considered gift for housewarmings, weddings, and art lovers.
In short: Proserpine - Dante Gabriel Rossetti - Oil Painting for Hallway combines a timeless composition, a 100% hand painted oil painting process, and the flexibility of made-to-order canvas sizes — a dependable choice for fine art oil painting and hallway wall art.
| Size | Price |
|---|---|
| 20 X 40 in | $116.48 |
| 24 X 48 in | $172.48 |
| 30 X 60 in | $243.48 |
| 36 X 72 in | $313.48 |
The sizes shown are the reproduction canvas sizes we paint to order. The dimensions given in a work's description refer to the original artwork and will differ from the sizes offered here. Not sure? Read the size guide or e-mail us.
Free on orders over $60; a flat $5 below that. Dispatched in 1–2 business days; 30 days to send it back. Full policy.
Every canvas is painted by hand in oils on artist-grade stretched canvas, with an extra blank border left for framing. How to care for your painting.
Measurements are on the size guide, or e-mail [email protected] and we reply within one business day.
