Thursday, February 01, 2007

Muse, Poet and Supermodel

1) A photo of Elizabeth Siddal, pre-raphaelite goddess. The boys got all the press and credit...but the models were the face of their movement. Elizabeth Siddal was a woman with her own talents: she was an excellent painter, perhaps with more edge than her boyfriend! She also wrote poems.
2) Before the Battle by Elizabeth Siddal
3) I think she would be an incredible subject for a movie. Just think of the sets, the costumes and make-up of this fascinating period of art and ideals.



4) She floated in a bath tub to model for the painting of Ophelia. She got very ill from this and had continued ill health for the rest of her life. Her father almost sued Millias.

5) Art critic John Ruskin subsidized her career. He was her real friend. I wonder if he was in love with her?

6) One of her poems...The Lust of the Eyes


I care not for my Lady's soul
Though I worship before her smile;
I care not where be my Lady's goal
When her beauty shall lose its wile.

Low sit I down at my Lady's feet
Gazing through her wild eyes
Smiling to think how my love will fleet
When their starlike beauty dies.

I care not if my Lady pray
To our Father which is in Heaven
But for joy my heart's quick pulses play
For to me her love is given.

Then who shall close my Lady's eyes
And who shall fold her hands?
Will any hearken if she cries
Up to the unknown lands?

7) The Ladie's Lament from the Ballad of Sir Patrick Spenser. A painting by Elizabeth Siddal.

8) The Queen of Hearts Siddal posed for Gabriel Dante Rossetti almost exclusively after the bath tub ordeal. They were in love. But were not married for most of their relationship.

8) Beata Beatrix by Rossetti. Siddal and Rossetti were lovers, she was his model and learned art and poetry from him. He eventually married her although his family did not approve.

9) The women involved in the Pre-Raphaelite movement were radicals...this photo is the strict formal materialistic clothing of the time of Siddal. Siddals loose fashions harken to ancient motifs of a return to traditional and artist interests in history rather than uptight materialism.

10) Compare Siddal's wild orginal flowing hair to this mean style from the mainstream.

11)) Siddal was addicted to laudadum and died of an overdose. Rossetti threw an original manuscript of poems into her casket in torment...but later regretted the action and she was exhumed to rescue the poems. The poetry was a critical failure.

12) When her body was exhumed to collect the poetry manuscript of Rossetti, he could not attend. His friend in charge of collecting the poems calimed that her copper hair had grown after her death and filled the casket and she hadn't decomposed. Her former lover was haunted by the exhumation for the rest of his life.
13) The Quest of the Holy Grail by Elizaberth Siddal.

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!



13 comments:

Tink said...

As you might know I love pre-raphaelites. Siddal was a very interesting and talented woman, a movie would be great!
Thanks for visiting my music TT.

Anonymous said...

Wow, what a cool list! I love learning things I didn't know. :) Happy TT to you!

Darla said...

Oh, she would make a fascinating subject for a movie! Perhaps you should write a script.... :)

Anonymous said...

That was awesome, thank you for telling me about her! Her deep set eyes remind me a bit of my grandmother's...

Timmer said...

I like learning new information, how interesting that her grave was exhumed for her poems! Excellent posts and image links.

Amy Ruttan said...

Ok, I love that picture of Ophelia but I didn't know who did it. Thanks for that.

Also the first picture "Before the Battle," is the time period I wrote for my requested.

Thanks for dropping by and all the well wishes. I'll let you know if anything comes of it.

Nathalie said...

That is one great TT! I love those paintings, but I never knew the story behind it, wonderful!

Ink Casualty said...

Siddal was a hack!

Jill said...

It's good to heard of a so talented woman of the 19th century!

Shep said...

I heart Jane Morris!

Anonymous said...

Finally I can post a comment. I was not just linking and running. Blogging has been wigging out.

I love learning about her. What a fascinating life she lived!

thehealingroom said...

Oh Candy,
I think you found another kindred spirit! Past life or paralell life, depending how one views time.

Underground Baker said...

Whooo-hoo, I can comment!!!

This is a beautiful thirteen Candy.

sending you a huge hug,
kiki

generated by sloganizer.net