Beata Beatrix is a renowned oil painting created by Dante Gabriel Rossetti, a poet and painter in the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, between 1864-70. The painting depicts Elizabeth Siddal, Rossetti’s wife and muse, at the moment of her death. It’s based on Beatrice Portinari from Dante Alighieri’s poem La Vita Nuova.
Rossetti painted other versions of the artwork before Elizabeth Siddal passed away due to an overdose of laudanum. The painting is known as one of his most famous works and is widely considered to express his grief over his wife’s death; he added a white poppy on the dove, symbolizing sleep or death and possibly an opium reference.
The artwork displays outstanding Renaissance-style elements – ethereal colors, harmony in composition with red hair flowing against blue clothing — that showcase beauty as well as perfectability and salvation of the soul portrayed both by Rossetti’s poetry and Dante Alighieri’s La vita nuova.
Overall, Beata Beatrix remains an essential piece for art lovers who want to observe how artists transcribe their emotional experiences into extraordinary artworks that are appreciated through centuries.