Dante's Dream on the Day of the Death of Beatrice: 9th of June, 1290 (fair copy, State Historical Society of Iowa) Dante Gabriel Rossetti 1 Dante's Dream on the Day of the Death of Beatrice, 9th of June, 1290 Dante Gabriel Rossetti 1873? fair copy 1 page DGR DGR State Historical Society of Iowa Charles Aldrich Autograph Collection Aldrich knew WMR and received this manuscript, as well as all his other collection, from the Rossetti family. A note in the library of the Historical Society dated 20 July 1894 and signed by Aldrich indicates that he had 58 DGR letters at that time, as well as a considerable body of other autograph material. The library now reports this material is not to be found in its collections. 17.3 x 11 cm. The verso has the following note in an unknown hand: “Original Manuscript by Dante Gabriel Rossetti Commentary
Introduction

This is the only manuscript that appears to survive. The text was used as the epigraph for the broadside that DGR had printed to accompany his oil painting <hi rend="i">Dante's Dream at the Time of the Death of Beatrice</hi>

Textual History: Revision

Some uncertainty hangs about the date of the manuscript. The manuscript presents the text as printed in DGR's 1874 revised edition of the 1861 <hi rend="i">Early Italian Poets</hi> volume. The integral character of the manuscript, however, suggests that it was copied from the printed text specifically for the 1881 occasion—i.e., as the epigraph for his broadside ekphrasis printed that year. Nonetheless, the manuscript might be earlier.

Production History

Reception History

Iconographic

Printing History

Pictorial

Historical

Literary

Translation

Autobiographical

Bibliographic

Dante's Dream on the day of the death of Beatrice, <lb/>9<hi rend="sup">th</hi> of June, 1290. Then Love said, “Now shall all things be made clear: Come and behold our lady where she lies.” These idle fantasies Then carried me to see my lady dead. Even as I there was led, Her ladies with a veil were covering her: And with her was such very humbleness That she appeared to say, I am at peace. ----------