The Blessed Damozel Study 1873

Dante Gabriel Rossetti created this study for "The Blessed Damozel" using colored chalks, a medium that lends itself to the ethereal quality of the subject. Rossetti was a key figure in the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, a group of artists who rejected the academic art of their time. In Britain, during the mid-19th century, the art world was dominated by the Royal Academy, which promoted a hierarchical system valuing historical and classical subjects above all others. The Pre-Raphaelites sought to overturn this hierarchy, drawing inspiration from medieval art, and valuing sincerity and emotion over idealized beauty. Here, the figure's long flowing hair and melancholic expression reflects the Pre-Raphaelite’s idealization of female beauty and their fascination with themes of love, loss, and spirituality. To truly understand a work like this, we need to examine exhibition records and critical reviews. These resources can reveal how Rossetti and his contemporaries challenged the artistic norms of their time, and how their art reflected broader social and cultural changes.