Binding Design: A Shadow of Dante (1871) Dante Gabriel Rossetti 1 ©Licensed by the Trustees of the British Museum Binding Design: A Shadow of Dante (1871) DGR 1871 British Museum Plain, smooth plum-red cloth boards. Design blocked in gold on upper cover and spine. 7 3/5 x 5 2/5 in. <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>This design for Maria Rossetti's book came from a drawing originally made by WMR. It employs more explicitly symbolic devices than DGR was inclined to use, and most have regarded it as much less satisfactory than any of the designs DGR initiated. According to WMR, “My brother put the sketch into some presentable stage; and Mr. Dunn made the elegantly executed drawings from which the binders worked” (see <bibl> <author>WMR</author>, <xref doc="a.pr5246.a43.vol2.rad" from="231"> <title level="doc"> <hi rend="i">Family Letters</hi> , vol. 2, 231).

The design shows “an encircled Florentine iris, with angel and devil wings in the upper and lower outer corners, balanced on the inside by a small star (top) and flame (bottom)—with paired and reversed half wings on the spine” (see Fredeman, “Woodman, Spare that Block” , 31 ).

Production History

Reception

Iconograpic

Pictorial

Historical

Literary

Autobiographical

Bibliographic

Fredeman, “Woodman, Spare that Block” , 7-41. Grieve, “Applied Art 2” , 79-83. WMR, <hi rend="i">Family Letters</hi> , vol. 2, 231. <hi rend="i">DGR: Painter and Poet, Birmingham, 1973</hi>, 58-59 (nos. 231 and 235).