“The Beloved” is an oil on canvas painting by Dante Gabriel Rossetti, created between 1865 and 1866. This artwork, measuring 76.2 x 82.6 cm, belongs to the Romanticism movement and is classified as a genre painting. It is held in the collection of the Tate Britain in London, United Kingdom.
The artwork presents a richly detailed scene with a central female figure surrounded by several other figures in an intimate setting. The woman at the center has auburn hair and is adorned with a jeweled headpiece and necklace. Her expression is serene, direct, and captivating, as she gazes out at the viewer, making her the clear subject of the painting, as suggested by the title. She is draped in a luxurious green shawl with intricate embroidery, emphasizing her status as the beloved.
Standing out in the composition is a young person of African descent holding a golden vase or pot filled with roses in the foreground, adding a significant contrast in terms of color and cultural representation to the scene. This figure’s inclusion reflects the Victorians’ fascination with other cultures and often exoticized depictions of non-European people.
Around the central female figure, several other characters interact with or gaze at her, contributing to the narrative of admiration and devotion that the painting’s title implies. Their faces are framed by foliage and vibrant flowers, particularly red roses, which are often symbolic of love and beauty. The painting’s richness in color and symbolic detail are characteristic of Rossetti’s works and the broader pre-Raphaelite movement, which often sought to capture beauty, emotion, and complex narrative in a single frame.
