Tate Britain presents a major new exhibition that explores the romance, radicalism and artistic achievements of the Rossetti family. Spanning more than 150 works—paintings, drawings, photographs, designs, poems and more—the show brings together key pieces by Dante Gabriel Rossetti, his sister Christina Rossetti and their sister Elizabeth Rossetti, all central figures in 19th‑century art and literature.
This exhibition is the first retrospective of Dante Gabriel Rossetti to be held at Tate and the largest display of his work in over two decades. It reunites the three Pre‑Raphaelite oil paintings he is best known for and presents rarely seen watercolors and drawings by Elizabeth Rossetti, offering fresh insight into her practice and the wider family circle.
Following careful research into Elizabeth’s surviving watercolors, the curators place these works in a productive dialogue with Dante Gabriel’s pieces. Together they illuminate recurring themes—medievalism, desire and reinterpretations of love—while highlighting the distinct creative voices within a single family.
The Damsel of the Sanct Grael © Whpics | Dreamstime.com
The exhibition also revisits storied relationships and artistic collaborations within the Rossetti circle. Works such as Bocca Baciata, Beata Beatrix and The Beloved are shown alongside material that charts connections between Dante Gabriel, Elizabeth Rossetti, Fanny Cornforth and Jane Morris, inviting visitors to consider how personal lives and creative practice intertwined.
Christina Rossetti’s contribution to the show is significant: her poetry is woven into the visitor experience via an audio installation that resonates through the galleries. This spoken word element is complemented by examples of Dante Gabriel’s early drawings, which trace the development of his visual imagination from adolescence into mature work.
Beyond paintings and poems, the exhibition highlights the Rossettis’ influence on domestic life and design. Objects, clothing and interior furnishings on display reveal how their artistic ideals shaped contemporary taste and domestic interiors, illustrating the family’s broader cultural impact.
Among Dante Gabriel Rossetti’s most celebrated paintings are Lady Lilith (Delaware Art Museum, Wilmington), Proserpine (Birmingham Museums & Art Gallery), The Blessed Damozel (Fogg Museum, Harvard University) and The Day Dream (Victoria and Albert Museum, London). The Tate exhibition provides context for these masterpieces, situating them within the complex emotional and aesthetic world that the Rossettis helped create.
Through a carefully curated selection of works and interpretive displays, the exhibition offers a rounded portrait of a family whose art, poetry and personal lives shaped key currents of Victorian culture. Visitors will leave with a deeper understanding of how the Rossettis merged medieval inspiration, romantic longing and domestic innovation to leave a lasting mark on art and literature.