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Rossetti, Dante Gabriel - Damsel of the Sanct Grail
Identifier
010580
Type of Spiritual Experience
Background
Dante Gabriel Rossetti painted Damsel of the Sanct Grael in 1874. Rossetti did a number of paintings related to the grail legend, and two works that depicted the damsel of the holy grail. This damsel has flowing hair, a dove above her and her cloak has a pattern of grape vines – wine, vines and grape symbolism. The first version of The Damsel of the Sanct Grael was painted nearly 20 years before, and features a rather gaunt Lizzie Siddal. This early version is held by the Tate Gallery in London. Both images use similar symbolism (the dove and hand positions are the same), but the moods of the paintings are completely different.
Rossetti used Alexa Wilding as his model for the second damsel. This painting is currently in the private collection of Lord Andrew Lloyd-Weber.
A description of the experience
