Photographs of Jane Morris

Pre-Raphaelite Sisterhood has had two days of great posts on Jane Morris, one of my favourite figures of the Pre-Raphaelite movement. Being a Jane Morris fan, I have my own favourite photographs of her that I would like to share.

These two photographs of Jane Morris, in which she was posed by her friend and lover Dante Gabriel Rossetti, were taken in 1865 by John R. Parsons as part of a series commissioned by Rossetti. I think it is the most beautiful picture that we have of her, and most closely resembles the paintings by Rossetti. The real beauty of her face seems more evident in profile than in photos taken head-on (this is noticible even in paintings--Rossetti almost always chooses to paint her in profile).

If you're a fan of Pre-Raphaelite art, chances are you have seen numerous paintings of Jane without realizing it (such as the famous Proserpine painting, above right). She was one of Rossetti's favourite subjects and was thought by members of Rossetti's circle (including her husband, William Morris) to epitomize Pre-Raphaelite notions of beauty. You will notice that her dress in these photographs is quite loose and flowing--a hallmark of the Pre-Raphaelites, who felt that this "artistic" mode of dress was superior because it did not hide the natural curves of the female body. This might seem a little odd today, as "Artistic Dress" certainly covered the female form than todays clothing. Nevertheless, in comparison with the mountains of petticoats, crinolines, bustles and the like worn by their contemporaries, the Pre-Raphaelites were certainly more in touch with natural form.