A Fight for a Woman

Dante Gabriel Rossetti

General Description

Date: 1865

Bibliography

◦ Fredeman, Correspondence, 65.172.

◦ Marillier, DGR: An Illustrated Memorial,139.

◦ WMR, DGR as Designer and Writer, 52.

◦ Surtees, A Catalogue Raisonné, vol. 1, 103 (no. 180).

Scholarly Commentary

Introduction

The watercolour has much in common, both in theme and composition, with The Death of Breuze Sans Pitié. The latter was originally executed in 1857 but DGR reworked the picture in 1865, apparently at about the same time he was creating this work. Both pictures are among DGR's most arresting works.

Production History

DGR wrote to George Rae on 7 December 1865 offering to sell him this picture along with three others that Rae had recently purchased: “I will also, if you like, send you a drawing I am doing now, which I could get done by that time, & which Gambart, for whom I began it, considers “unpopular”; though I dare say you would think it none the worse for that. It is called “A Fight for a Woman” & is 14 x 11 inches sight measure. Its price (framed) I would make 50 guineas (cash) to tempt you. I have it thrown on my hands you see, and am wanting money immediately” (see Fredeman, Correspondence, 65.172 ). Rae agreed and bought it immediately, perhaps because he already had bought The Death of Breuze Sans Pitié watercolour.

Electronic Archive Edition: 1
Source File: s180.raw.xml