Monna Vanna Belcolore Dante Gabriel Rossetti 1 ŠTate, London 2002 Monna Vanna Belcolore DGR 1866 R.A., 1883 (no.302); Guildall 1894 (no.118) Sheffield, Victorian Paintings, 1968 (no.42); R.A., 1973 (no.322); Tate 1984 William Blackmore 1866 Tate Gallery 3054 William Blackmore; George Rae 1869; Tate Gallery 1916 oil 35 x 34 in. The frame was added to the picture in late 1873, when DGR did some repainting for Rae. It is “in two parts, an outer box of reeded black barred with gold and an inner flat decorated with a wavy frond pattern” (see <hi rend="i">The Pre-Raphaelites</hi> , Tate 1984 215 ). monogram The monogram is inscribed at lower right. Angeli, DGR con 107 illustrazioni , 118. Marillier, DGR: An Illustrated Memorial , facing page 142. Ash, Dante Gabriel Rossetti , plate 21. Gowans and Gray, Masterpieces of DGR , 33. Bancroft print. Surtees, A Catalogue Raisonné , vol. 2, plate 281. DGR's description (27 September 1866): “I have a picture close on completion—one of my best I believe, and probably the most effective as a room decoration which I have ever painted. It is called Venus Veneta and represents a Venetian lady in a rich dress of white and gold,—in short, the Venetian ideal of female beauty” (see Doughty and Wahl, <xref doc="a.pr5246.a4.vol2.rad" link="dead" from="606" workcode="s191"> <hi rend="i">Letters</hi> vol. 2</xref> , 606 ). Alexa Wilding 1873 <artist/> <bibl/> <note/> </citnpictorial> <citnmythic> <name/> <culture/> <bibl/> <note/> </citnmythic> <citnhistorical> <event/> <place/> <date/> <bibl/> <note/> </citnhistorical> <citnautobiographical> <name/> <place/> <date/> <bibl/> <note/> </citnautobiographical> <citnscenic> <place/> <date/> <bibl/> <note/> </citnscenic> </listcitn> </source> <commentaries> <head>Commentary</head> <section type="intro"> <head>Introduction</head> <p>Although DGR thought highly of this work, he did not make any replicas after this finished oil completed in 1866 and repainted in 1873. No studies have come down to us either. The painting is one of the most impressive in DGR's series of Venetian-inspired portraits of women.</p> <p>For a full discussion see the <xref doc="a.s191.raw">general commentary</xref> for this work.</p> </section> <section type="prodhist"> <head>Production History</head> <p>DGR began this picture in 1866 and was nearing completion on 27 September (see <bibl>Doughty and Wahl, <title level="bk"> <xref doc="a.pr5246.a4.vol2.rad" link="dead" from="606" workcode="s191"> <hi rend="i">Letters</hi> vol. 2</xref> , 606 ). At that point he offered it to John Mitchell, but the picture was eventually bought by William Blackwell. In mid-1873, after the picture had been acquired by George Rae, DGR took it back for some repainting and finished the work in November (see Doughty and Wahl, <xref doc="a.pr5246.a4.vol3.rad" link="dead" from="1236" workcode="s191"> <hi rend="i">Letters</hi> vol. 3</xref> , 1236 ).

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Angeli, DGR con 107 illustrazioni , 118. Gowans and Gray, <hi rend="i">Masterpieces of Rossetti</hi> , 33. Marillier, <hi rend="i">An Illustrated Memorial</hi> , 131, 141-142 . WMR, <hi rend="i">DGR as Designer and Writer</hi> , 68-69. Sharp, <hi rend="i">DGR: A Record and a Study</hi> , 200-201. Stephens, <hi rend="i">Dante Gabriel Rossetti</hi> , 70-71. Surtees, <hi rend="i">A Catalogue Raisonné</hi> , vol. 1, 111 (no. 191). Surtees, <hi rend="i">Diaries of George Price Boyce</hi> , 44. <hi rend="i">The Pre-Raphaelites</hi> , Tate 1984, 214-215.