The Nativity Dante Gabriel Rossetti 1 1855 June
<artist/> <location/> <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/> </section> <section type="texthistcomp"> <head>Textual History: Composition</head> <p/> </section> <section type="texthistrev"> <head>Textual History: Revision</head> <p/> </section> <section type="prodhist"> <head>Production History</head> <p>“This drawing is in many respects likeable—but in many more <hi rend="u">Wrong</hi>”: thus Ruskin began his long critical accounting to DGR of the inadequacies of the picture he had commissioned in June 1855. Ruskin repeated certain of his strictures in a letter dated October, and asked DGR to fix what he disliked about the picture “or you will make me ill again” (see <bibl> <author>Surtees</author>, <xref doc="a.n6797.r58s9.vol1.rad" from="34" workcode="s71" link="dead"> <title level="bk"> <hi rend="i">A Catalogue Raisonné</hi> , vol. 1, 34n.. and Troxell, <hi rend="i">Three Rossettis</hi> , 28-29, where Ruskin's letter is printed in full). When DGR wrote to his mother on 1 July about Ruskin's reaction, his tone was remarkably cool given the astonishing character of Ruskin's remarks: “While Ruskin was at the seaside I painted and sent him a water colour of The Nativity, done in a week, price 15 guineas. I thought and think it one of my best, but R. disappointed me by not thinking it up to my usual mark. I shall do him another instead, & sell that to someone else” ( Fredeman, <hi rend="i">Correspondence</hi> , 55. 33 ). Ruskin kept the picture but only after extorting the changes he wanted.

Reception

Iconographic

Pictorial

Surtees usefully compares the picture with the central panel of <hi rend="i">The Seed of David</hi> watercolour in the Tate.

Historical

Literary

Translation

Autobiographical

Bibliographic

Surtees, <hi rend="i">A Catalogue Raisonné</hi> , vol. 1, 33-34 (no. 71). Troxell, <hi rend="i">Three Rossettis</hi> , 28-29.

The Nativity DGR 1855 June watercolour 1