Woman Combing Her Hair 1864

Editor: This is Dante Gabriel Rossetti's "Woman Combing Her Hair," an oil painting from 1864. What strikes me immediately is the intimacy of the scene; it feels like we’re intruding on a private moment. What story do you think Rossetti is trying to tell here? Curator: It’s interesting you pick up on the intimacy. Consider the socio-cultural context of the Pre-Raphaelites. They often challenged the established art world by turning to personal, emotional, and even domestic scenes. Rossetti wasn’t just depicting a woman; he was placing beauty and personal reflection outside the dominant academic art narratives. The Pre-Raphaelites were reacting against the industrial revolution, and focusing on natural beauty, hence the gorgeous hair and rich colours. Does that resonate with you? Editor: Definitely. Knowing about the Pre-Raphaelites' agenda, I see this work as more of a statement about reclaiming beauty in everyday life. How much do you think the subject of the painting, combing her hair, matters beyond being a representation of beauty? Curator: Hair was indeed highly symbolic in Pre-Raphaelite art, but it can be problematic to view women primarily through the lens of beauty. In many ways this image reinforces a culture of 'woman as object'. However, by looking at who got to choose to look at such a beautiful object and how this woman represented Pre-Raphaelite desires we can start to unpick those questions. Editor: So it is kind of complicated then. We are celebrating the technical beauty of art that objectifies the sitter, while simultaneously using that knowledge to try and empower them. Curator: Precisely! The history allows us to look at it with those many, maybe even contradictory thoughts at once. Thanks for sharing yours! Editor: And thank you! I will certainly keep this in mind as I try to grapple with the art world.