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'The Two Mothers', Dante Gabriel Rossetti

A young woman sits with an open book, a young girl beside her holds her hands in prayer

Zoom into the detail of this painting

This is a fragment of a much larger painting based on a poem by Robert Browning. Rossetti began the work in 1850 but cut it up, preserving the figure of the woman who was originally to have been shown reading a volume of Italian poetry. Later he added the little girl and the statuette of the virgin and child to make a sentimental image of family piety. The change in his painting style over the years is clearly visible.

Artwork Details

Medium and Support: Oil on canvas
Date: 1850 - 1865
Accession No: WAG 295

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