A Christmas Carol Dante Gabriel Rossetti 1 1857 December; 1857-1858 “A young woman in red, with the face of Elizabeth Siddal, having her hair combed out by two attendants, is seated in the centre facing to front, playing a clavichord decorated on two panels with scenes of the Annunciation and Nativity; and hung with sprigs of green foliage; holly trees in red barrels stand to the left and right against a wall of bright blue tiles; a black and gold tapestry hangs behind the central figure and falls to form a carpet beneath her feet” ( Surtees, <hi rend="i">A Catalogue Raisonné</hi> , I. 55.
Elizabeth Siddal <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>Executed in late 1857 and exhibited at the Liverpool Academy in 1858, the picture was bought in mid-1859 by James Leathart for 80 guineas. DGR told Leathart it was one of the best watercolours he had ever done and advised him that “to be seen favorably [it] ought to be hung with the light from the left i.e. of the spectator—that being the light in which they were painted.” (see <bibl> <author>Fredeman</author>, <xref doc="a." link="dead"> <title level="bk"> <hi rend="i"/>Correspondence 59. 28; 59. 30).

Reception

Iconographic

Pictorial

The picture should not be confused with the later (1867) oil painting of the same title. Its relation to <hi rend="i"/>The Blue Closet , however, is notable.

Historical

Literary

Translation

Autobiographical

Bibliographic

Marillier, <hi rend="i"/>DGR: An Illustrated Memorial , 82. Surtees, <hi rend="i">A Catalogue Raisonné</hi> , vol. 1, 55-56 (no. 98).

Fogg Museum watercolour Dante Gabriele Rossetti con 107 Illustrazioni Elena Rossetti Angeli 1906 0 Dante Gabriel Rossetti, An Illustrated Memorial of His Art and Life H. C. Marillier 1899 0 A Christmas Carol DGR 1857-1858 Xmas 1857-8 watercolour 4 A Christmas Carol [print] DGR 1857-1913 (circa) photoprint (brown and cream) mounted on beige board 1