A diptych designed for the
doors of a cupboard, these two panels illustrate scenes from Dante's
Vita Nuova and Divina Comedia, depicting his
encounters with his beloved Beatrice. On the left, Rossetti shows
their first meeting in Florence, where Dante is struck by her
ethereal presence. On the right, he imagines their reunion in
Paradise after her death, emphasising the spiritual and transcendent
nature of their bond. The other figures in the paintings are
modelled on individuals from Rossetti's own circle. The cupboard was
originally designed by William Morris for his own home, but Rossetti
later removed the doors and replaced them with these paintings. The
panels are mounted within a frame that Rossetti himself designed and
inscribed with Italian texts.
On the left side, the inscriptions read:
'This marvellous lady appeared to me dressed in white, between
two noble ladies of more advanced years. — Vita Nuova, Chapter 3'
and
'In her eyes my lady bears love.'
On the right side, they read:
'Above a white veil crowned with olive, a lady appeared to me,
beneath a green mantle, clothed in the colour of living flame. —
Divine Comedy, Purgatory, Canto 30'
and
'Look at me well: truly I am, truly I am Beatrice.'
At the top centre of the frame is the Latin phrase: Salvatici
Beatricis, and at the bottom centre, the inscription reads: 'On
Earth and in Eden.'
