Dante Gabriel Rossetti

Rossetti was born in London. His father, an Italian political refugee, was a poet and Dante scholar and from 1831 Professor of Italian at King's College, London. His mother, who was half Italian and half English, was a private teacher.  He joined the Royal Academy Schools as a probationer in 1844, becoming a full student in December 1845. By 1847 he was considering careers in both poetry and painting.

He was a founding member, with William Holman Hunt and Dante Gabriel Rossetti, of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood (PRB).
In 1858 Rossetti founded the Hogarth Club, an exhibiting and social club, with Madox Brown and others.  In 1860 he married the Pre-Raphaelite model, poet and artist, Elizabeth Siddal, most famously to be seen in Millais's Ophelia. She died two years later of a laudanum overdose. He had a long intimate relationship with Jane Burden, wife of William Morris.  His health broke down in 1872 and he abandoned most of his old friendships.

The two paintings below by Rossetti were in the collection of BG Windus.
There may be other paintings which have not as yet been connected with the Windus Collection.

Lucrezia Borgia
Lucrezia has just poisoned her second husband, Alphonso, Duke of Bisceglia and is washing her hands in a basin.  In a circular mirror is a reflection of Alphonso on crutches, being walked about the room by Pope Alexander VI, as Rossetti said, 'to settle the poison well into his system.'

Lucrezia was the illegitimate daughter of Cardinal Rodrigo Borgia (c. 1431–1503), who later became Pope Alexander VI, and his mistress Vannozza Cattanei.  Her three marriages were into influential families.  She was a renowned beauty notorious for the suspicious deaths and political intrigue which surrounded her family, but thought by many to be an innocent pawn.

Rossetti refers to the Lucrezia Borgia painting in a sale of works held by Windus on 15 February 1859: 
I have come into possession of a drawing of mine of which the photo was always a favourite with you: - Lucrezia Borgia washing her hands. I saw it at Christie's at Windus's sale, & seeing things I should like to alter in it  I bought it myself for 70gs. I shall not show it till altered, but then shd like you to see it it is quite a small affair.
Rossetti writing to Charles Augustus Howell 4 February 1868

Rossetti later sold the painting to Frederick Richard Leyland.
© Tate

Carlisle Wall (The Lovers)

This small watercolour sketch was made during a visit by Rossetti to William Bell Scott at Newcastle in June and July of 1853.  The sketch was originally named The Lovers, and the inscription states that it was made whilst the two friends were in  Carlisle at the end of June 1853. 

H. Virtue Tebbs, who owned the painting after BG Windus, gave the picture the name Carlisle Wall it is thought because the rich sunset effect behind the figures on the tower suggested the ballad line - "The sun shines red on Carlisle wall" - to him.

© Tate - on loan to Ashmolean Museum, Oxford