“The Lady of Pity,” created by Dante Gabriel Rossetti in 1870, is a pastel artwork that resides within the artistic movement of Romanticism. The dimensions of this literary painting are 84.7 by 72 centimeters, and it is currently housed at the Bradford Museums and Galleries in Bradford, UK.
The artwork depicts a portrait of a young woman with voluminous, wavy hair and an expression that conveys a sense of melancholy and introspection. She is dressed in a modest, dark-toned garment, and her hands are delicately crossed in front of her on a table. The background is softly shaded, accentuating the subject’s contemplative demeanor. Below her hands, an inscribed scroll reads, “Color d’amore e di pietà sembiante,” which translates from Italian to “The color of love and semblance of pity,” thus emphasizing the emotive nature of the portrayal. Poised in its intricate detail and nuanced emotion, this artwork epitomizes Rossetti’s Romanticist inclination and his profound engagement with literary themes.
