Sister Helen, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, circa 1870

This unfinished drawing relates to a poem of the same title that rossetti began working on in late 1851. Described by rossetti as “a ghastly ballad,” the poem tells the story of the gruesome acts of the title character who, forsaken in love, maliciously chooses to melt her lover in waxen effigy and thereby cause his death. The “femme-fatale” subject matter looks forward to later work such as lady lilith. (see references). Date: circa 1870. Dimensions: sheet: height: 8.3 in (21.1 cm); width: 6.5 in (16.6 cm). Medium: brown ink on paper, graphite, ink on paper mounted on board. Collection: Delaware Art Museum. Dante Gabriel Rossetti - Sister Helen