Dante Gabriel Rossetti

Abstract

Rossetti was the son of an Italian who was Professor of Italian at King’s College, London. His mother was the half-English sister of Dr Polidori, Byron’s travelling companion. His upbringing was consequently cosmopolitan, the family house continuously full of political refugees. He was educated at King’s College School which he left at thirteen in order to become an artist. He worked for some time with Ford Madox Brown, and formed friendships with Holman Hunt, John Everett Millais and Thomas Woolner. Together with these artists he formed the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood: unpopular with the Academy establishment, the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood found a champion in Ruskin.