Fanny Cornforth was born Sarah Cox, the daughter of a blacksmith in Steyning. Later, she took on the name Fanny in honor of a younger sister who had died at a young age. Though she appears in some of Dante Gabriel Rossetti’s most majestic works, Fanny Cornforth is one of the most criticized and misunderstood Pre-Raphaelite models.
While attending a celebratory fireworks display held in honor of Florence Nightingale’s return from the Crimea, Fanny met the man who would change her life forever, Pre-Raphaelite artist Dante Gabriel Rossetti.
Here’s where it gets dicey – there are two descriptions of how Fanny and Gabriel met. One is reasonably plausible; the other, while somewhat humorous, was clearly designed to paint Fanny in a certain light (pun intended).
The tale that has been most widely shared the most is this: Rossetti was visiting the fireworks exhibition at the Royal Surrey Gardens when he passed by a beautiful, busty blonde with a delightful Cockney accent. She cracked nuts with her teeth, spitting the shells at him.
This nutty account seems to have originated by poet William Bell Scott, who, although friends with Rossetti, was not there at the time. It was also repeated by Hall Caine, who did not enter Rossetti’s life until his later years.
Fanny’s version of their meeting was that Rossetti approached her and instantly loosened her hair, encouraging the locks to spill down her back. When Fanny’s cousin began to reprimand him, he explained that Fanny’s hair was so incredibly beautiful that he longed to paint it.
Given that we know that he excitedly approached Jane Morris and Alexa Wilding in similar ways (without actually dismantling their coiffures), this account seems reasonable.
Fanny has often been treated dismissively by scholars. Frequently described as a prostitute, it appears that most of the criticisms levied against her were based on her class and lack of education.
Sidonia von Bork, Sir Edward Burne-Jones
Dante Gabriel Rossetti had several models who were crucial to his work. Jane Morris captivated him with her dark, striking looks. Elizabeth Siddal was his idealized muse, put on a pedestal and revered, but Fanny was someone to experience life and laughter with, a woman to enjoy unashamedly.
Unfortunately for Fanny, she was not the woman Rossetti would marry.
She was distraught when Rossetti married Elizabeth Siddal, but as she always would, she forgave him and continued to appear in his work.
After the tragic and unexpected death of Siddal, Fanny eventually became Rossetti’s housekeeper. Since they were unmarried and since Fanny didn’t appear to try to make her life more respectable, she’s always carried the miasma of scandal.
Over time, her days as his muse waned as his eyes sought out a different type of beauty for his work, yet she would remain a permanent fixture in his life.
Fanny was nothing if not loyal, and her friendship was incredibly important to Rossetti. He gifted a great deal of his artwork to her and after his passing, she sold many of them to American collector Samuel Bancroft, which provided her security. Bancroft had an avid interest in the Pre-Raphaelites and developed a friendship with Fanny. Their correspondence, along with many letters between Rossetti and Fanny, can be viewed in the Delaware Art Museum’s digital collections.
Fanny was often ridiculed and overlooked by Rossetti’s family and friends, but she appeared to live life on her own terms as much as she could. She was brash and outspoken, but remained a true friend to Rossetti through his darkest times.
Fanny died at age 71 in Graylingwell Asylum. I encourage you to read Kirsty Stonell Walker’s poignant post about the discovery of Fanny’s final days.
Women are at the heart of Pre-Raphaelite art, giving rise to the enduring idea of the ‘Pre-Raphaelite Woman.’ The term often appears in media today to describe actresses or musicians with long, flowing hair. Musician Florence Welch being a frequent example and proud embodiment of the look.
But was there ever a single ideal? When we look beyond the painted canvases to the real women who inspired them, we find a rich diversity. To their credit, the Pre-Raphaelites and their circle didn’t idealize just one type. Women of varying shapes, features, and presence became muses. Over time, their individual strengths have blended into the image we now call the ‘Pre-Raphaelite Stunner.’
While I’m wary of reducing any woman to her appearance alone, exploring how these models helped shape a visual legacy can offer meaningful insight into the aesthetic we associate with ‘Pre-Raphaelite.’
Photograph of Elizabeth Siddal
Elizabeth Siddal
Elizabeth Siddal was one of the earliest and most iconic Pre-Raphaelite models. Discovered while working at Mrs. Tozer’s millinery shop, she made her first appearance in Walter Howell Deverell’s painting Twelfth Night. Soon after, she posed for William Holman Hunt and John Everett Millais, most famously as Ophelia. Eventually, Siddal became the exclusive muse of Dante Gabriel Rossetti. The artist also took her on as a pupil as she began a promising artistic career of her own. Their passionate, on-again-off-again relationship spanned nearly a decade before they finally married in 1860.
Siddal’s life, however, was marked by physical and emotional suffering. Often described as fragile, she became addicted to laudanum, an opiate commonly used at the time. The stillbirth of her daughter deepened her depression, and in 1862, Siddal died of an overdose.
Seven years later, in artistic desperation, Rossetti had her grave exhumed to retrieve a manuscript of poems buried with her. That act cast a lasting shadow of tragedy and macabre fascination over Siddal’s legacy.
Yet at the beginning, it was her face and presence that deeply inspired Rossetti. His sister, poet Christina Rossetti, captured this devotion in her poem In an Artist’s Studio. As one line puts it: ‘He feeds upon her face by day and night.’
Ford Madox Brown dubbed Rossetti’s drawings of Siddal a “monomania,” and Rossetti himself wrote that seeing her defined his destiny. Her features soon dominated his art throughout the 1850s, shaping the Pre-Raphaelite ideal.
Drawing of Elizabeth Siddal by Dante Gabriel RossettiSketch of Elizabeth Siddal, Dante Gabriel Rossetti
Elizabeth Siddal did not fit the mold of conventional Victorian beauty. At a time when a petite, delicate frame was idealized, she was considered somewhat tall. Red hair, too, was unfashionable and was often seen as a sign of bad luck or unattractiveness. Yet Siddal’s vivid hair became a hallmark of Pre-Raphaelite art. Rossetti and his peers portrayed her flowing red locks with such romantic intensity that they helped redefine its aesthetic appeal.
In the years after her death, Siddal’s hair took on an almost mythical status. Charles Augustus Howell claimed that when she was exhumed, her hair had continued to grow. filling the casket with fiery strands. Though biologically impossible, the story endured, becoming part of the eerie and enduring legend that surrounds the Pre-Raphaelite circle.
Portrait of Elizabeth Siddal (1854), Dante Gabriel Rossetti.
While Rossetti was captivated by Elizabeth Siddal’s features, it’s equally compelling to consider how Siddal saw herself.
Her self portrait reflects the Pre-Raphaelite commitment to truth in nature. It stands apart from the idealized images of women often associated with the movement. Siddal presents herself with honesty and directness, an unflinching portrayal that resists romanticization.
Self Portrait of Elizabeth Siddal
Annie Miller
Annie Miller was a muse to artist William Holman Hunt and appeared in some of the earliest Pre-Raphaelite works. Hunt intended to marry her and arranged for her to receive lessons in refinement, hoping to elevate her social standing. Their relationship became strained, especially during his extended trip to the Middle East, and the marriage never happened.
Frustrated by what he saw as her inappropriate behavior, Hunt later erased Miller’s likeness from many paintings, including The Awakening Conscience and Il Dolce Far Niente. As a result, Rossetti’s portrayals are what keep her presence in the Pre-Raphaelite story alive; the images I’ll share below..
Drawing of Annie Miller by Dante Gabriel RossettiAnnie Miller as Helen of Troy, Dante Gabriel RossettiAnnie Miller in Dante Gabriel Rossetti’s painting ‘Woman in Yellow’Photograph of Annie Miller
Effie Millais
Effie Gray was trapped in a cold, unconsummated marriage to critic John Ruskin when she met John Everett Millais. After a painful annulment, requiring her to prove her virginity, she and Millais were finally free to marry.
Emma Thompson wrote and starred in a film about Effie’s story, with Dakota Fanning playing Effie Gray.
The Order of Release, Sir John Everett MillaisStudy of Effie Millais for ‘The Eve of St. Agnes’Photograph of Effie Millais by (George) Herbert Watkins, albumen print, late 1850s
Fanny Cornforth
Fanny Cornforth may have been Rossetti’s truest and most loyal companion. Often dismissed or disparaged by those in his inner circle, she nonetheless remained steadfast. Her arrival ushering in a new, sensuous phase of his work, most notably with Bocca Baciata (The Kissed Mouth).
In contrast to Elizabeth Siddal’s frequent illnesses, Cornforth was vibrant, full-figured, and full of life. Yet despite her closeness to Rossetti, she was not the woman he would marry.
Over time, her role shifted from muse to housekeeper as Rossetti’s artistic focus turned to other faces. Still, she remained a constant presence in his life, a living reminder of an era of joy and creative freedom. I highly recommend reading Stunner: The Fall and Rise of Fanny Cornforth by Kirsty Stonell Walker.
Fanny in Fazio’s Misstress, Dante Gabriel RossettiBocca Baciata, Dante Gabriel RossettiPhoto of Fanny CornforthFair Rosamund, Dante Gabriel Rossetti
Georgiana Burne-Jones
Georgiana Burne-Jones became engaged to Edward Burne-Jones, whom she lovingly called ‘Ned,’ while still in her teens. Known for her gentle nature and devotion, she remained a supportive partner throughout his life and career.
Known as “Georgie,” she was the fifth of eleven MacDonald children. Her sister Agnes married painter Edward Poynter, while Louisa became Stanley Baldwin’s mother and Alice gave birth to Rudyard Kipling.
Photograph of Georgiana Burne-JonesGeorgiana Burne-Jones, painted by Sir Edward Burne-JonesGeorgiana Burne-Jones, their children Margaret and Philip in the background,
Maria Zambaco
Despite his devoted marriage to Georgiana, Burne-Jones had a major affair with Maria Zambaco. As things turned turbulent, his depictions of her took on deeper, conflicted tones.
Maria Zambaco in ‘Cupid and Psyche’ by Sir Edward Burne-Jones‘The Beguiling of Merlin, Sir Edward Burne-JonesPhotograph of Maria Zambaco
Jane Morris
Jane Morris entered the Pre-Raphaelite circle in Oxford, catching the attention of Rossetti and Burne-Jones during a theater performance.
She married William Morris, Rossetti’s close friend, yet later began a passionate relationship with Rossetti. Their story endures, made all the more striking by Morris’s unwavering support of her, despite his pain.
Rossetti’s paintings of Jane took on the same obsessive quality that characterized his earlier works with Elizabeth Siddal. Once again, the artist’s fixation is channeled through the image of his muse.
Jane Morris in ‘The Salutation of Beatrice’, painted by Dante Gabriel RossettiProserpine, Dante Gabriel RossettiThe Day Dream, Dante Gabriel Rossetti
Alexa Wilding
Rossetti noticed Alexa Wilding on a bustling street and promptly asked her to model for him. Tall and strikingly different from his muse Jane Morris, Alexa’s physical features were a distinct contrast.
Kirsty Stonell Walker has crafted a captivating fictionalized account of Alexa’s life in A Curl of Copper and Pearl. It’s a fascinating a glimpse into the world of this enigmatic muse..
Alexa Wilding in Dante Gabriel Rossetti’s ‘La Ghirlandata’Alexa Wilding, ‘Lady Lilith’, Dante Gabriel Rossetti‘Veronica Veronese’. Dante Gabriel RossettiPhotograph of Alexa Wilding
What about Pre-Raphaelite beauty in today’s woman?
It may seem like I’m pitting these women against one another by their looks, but that’s not my aim. I want to show that our idea of Pre-Raphaelite beauty is really an amalgamation.
The varied tastes of the Pre-Raphaelites combined to create the bold, beautiful look we now associate with the Pre-Raphaelites.
It’s an inspiring notion: the Pre-Raphaelite ideal grew from many women, and so does the world. In that sense, we’re all Stunners.
Break free from society’s limited standards of beauty. Embrace your unique strengths and quiet the inner critic that tries to hold you back. Together, we can celebrate the diverse beauty that makes up our world.
Like his fellow Pre-Raphaelites, Dante Gabriel Rossetti used live models in his art, often drawing from a familiar circle of family, friends, and lovers. Over the course of his career, the same faces appear again and again, evolving into visual motifs that now feel inseparable from his name.
Yet as iconic as they are, these women are sometimes misidentified, especially Elizabeth Siddal and Alexa Wilding, who are frequently confused online. This post offers a brief overview of the women who inspired Rossetti’s work. Consider it an introduction rather than a comprehensive guide, but one that highlights just how varied and fascinating these muses truly were.
The Rossetti Family: His First Models
The Girlhood of Mary Virgin 1848-9 Dante Gabriel Rossetti 1828-1882 Bequeathed by Lady Jekyll 1937 http://www.tate.org.uk/art/work/N04872
Rossetti’s earliest works feature his own family members. In The Girlhood of Mary Virgin (1849), his mother Frances Polidori Rossetti posed as Saint Anne, while his sister, poet Christina Rossetti, modeled as the Virgin Mary. Christina would again play Mary in Ecce Ancilla Domina (1850), where Rossetti’s brother William Michael Rossetti appeared as the angel Gabriel.
Ecce Ancilla Domini, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, 1849
Pop culture has muddled these facts a bit, thanks to dramatic license in the BBC series Desperate Romantics, many mistakenly believe Elizabeth Siddal posed as Mary in these early pieces. In truth, Rossetti didn’t meet Siddal until later.
Elizabeth Siddal: Muse, Artist, Tragic Icon
Drawing of Elizabeth Siddal by Dante Gabriel Rossetti
Elizabeth Siddal entered the Pre-Raphaelite world around 1849–50, first posing for Walter Deverell’s Twelfth Night. She’s perhaps most famously immortalized in Ophelia by John Everett Millais, but her relationship with Rossetti soon took center stage.
In the 1850s, Siddal began modeling exclusively for Rossetti, who became her mentor and encouraged her own pursuits in painting and poetry. Their love story was passionate, creative, and tragic. The couple married in 1860, but Siddal’s health deteriorated. After the stillbirth of their daughter and increasing dependency on laudanum, she died of an overdose in 1862 at just 32.
Profile of Elizabeth Siddal drawn by Dante Gabriel Rossetti, who claimed his destiny was defined the moment he saw her.
Grief-stricken, Rossetti famously buried a manuscript of his poems with her. Years later, those poems were exhumed for publication, a gothic footnote that has only deepened the mythos around her.
Regina Cordium, Dante Gabriel Rossetti. Model: Elizabeth Siddal.
Artist Ford Madox Brown once described Rossetti’s endless sketches of Siddal as a “monomania.” Even after her death, echoes of her remain in his art, and while other muses followed, Siddal was the first to be painted with such intensity, the Beatrice to his Dante.
Annie Miller: The Rebel Model
Drawing of Annie Miller by Dante Gabriel Rossetti
Annie Miller was discovered by William Holman Hunt, who pulled her from a life of poverty and arranged for her education. When Hunt traveled abroad, he warned both Miller and Rossetti not to work together.
They ignored him.
Woman in Yellow Dress, Dante Gabriel Rossetti
Rossetti painted Miller during the 1850s, a choice that strained his relationship with Siddal. Miller was bold and independent, and her rebellious spirit made her a dynamic figure within the circle, though her time as Rossetti’s muse was brief.
Helen of Troy, Dante Gabriel Rossetti
Fanny Cornforth: A New Style Emerges
Fanny Cornforth, 1859, Dante Gabriel Rossetti
Fanny Cornforth entered Rossetti’s life in 1858, and with her came a dramatic shift in his artistic style. Unlike previous muses, Fanny was earthy, humorous, and sensuous. Though she was often described (dismissively) as a prostitute, she became one of the most significant figures in his later career.
Bocca Baciata, Dante Gabriel Rossetti
In Bocca Baciata (1859), Cornforth’s image marked a turning point. Rossetti began focusing on voluptuous single female figures, framed by symbols of beauty such as jewelry, flowers, rich fabrics. His art became more sensual, more symbolic, more personal.
Cornforth remained close to Rossetti for years, even serving as his housekeeper later in life. Despite harsh judgment from critics and even Rossetti’s friends, their relationship seems to have been a steady one.
Jane Morris: The Enigmatic Stunner
Study for ‘Mariana’ by Dante Gabriel Rossetti
Jane Burden, later Jane Morris, was discovered by Rossetti and Edward Burne-Jones at a theatre performance in Oxford. Instantly captivated, Rossetti called her a “stunner.” Her deep features and quiet intensity would go on to define an entire phase of his art.
Yet Rossetti’s love for Jane was complicated. After their initial meeting, he returned to care for the ailing Siddal. In the meantime, Jane became engaged to William Morris, who likely viewed himself as her protector and admirer of Rossetti’s work.
‘The Salutation of Beatrice’, Dante Gabriel Rossetti.
After Siddal’s death, Rossetti entered a period of artistic and emotional turmoil. He began drinking, struggled with depression and fell deeply in love with Jane. Their relationship, though constrained by Jane’s marriage, became a powerful creative force. She inspired The House of Life, his sonnet sequence, as well as some of his most iconic paintings.
Rossetti even exhumed the poems he had buried with Siddal to include them in this new collection, blurring the lines between past grief and present passion.
‘Reverie’, Dante Gabriel Rossetti.
Alexa Wilding: The Most Misidentified Muse
Alexa Wilding, Dante Gabriel Rossetti
Of all Rossetti’s models,Alexa Wilding is perhaps the most frequently confused, often mistaken online for Elizabeth Siddal. Tall and striking, Rossetti noticed her on the street and immediately asked her to sit for him.
Though she modeled during the same period as Jane Morris, the two looked very different. Rossetti’s artistic signature, full lips, strong arms, and elongated necks, blurred their features across paintings. This makes identification tricky, but also speaks to how he transformed each woman’s uniqueness into his evolving visual language.
‘Venus Verticordia’, Dante Gabriel Rossetti
One common mistake is the belief that A Vision of Fiammetta features Wilding. It actually depicts Marie Spartali Stillman. Another is that The Blessed Damozel shows Siddal, given its theme of a departed lover in heaven. In truth, the model is Wilding.
A Vision of Fiammetta, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, features Marie Spartali Stillman
More Than Muses: Rossetti’s Legacy of Women
The women who inspired Rossetti’s art were far from a singular ‘type.’ They came from different backgrounds, brought different energies, and challenged Victorian ideals of beauty. Whether they were models, artists, lovers, or friends, each helped shape the Rossetti woman, an image at once strong, sensuous, and unforgettable.
What I love most is how Rossetti celebrated unconventional beauty. His muses weren’t porcelain-perfect, they were distinct, real, and complex. He painted them not to idealize, but to elevate.
Each of them deserves to be remembered for more than just a face on a canvas.
When Pre-Raphaelite artist Dante Gabriel Rossetti spotted Alexa Wilding on a busy street, he immediately approached her to sit for him. A tall, pretty girl, she feared impropriety and didn’t show up at the agreed time.
Never one to admit defeat, Rossetti visited her and her mother to set their fears at rest. From then on, he paid Alexa a retainer, ensuring her availability whenever he needed her to pose.
Alexa’s given name was Alice, but dreams of the stage led her to adopt a more dramatic identity. Her theatrical aspirations never came to fruition, but she remains one of the most recognizable Pre-Raphaelite beauties to ever grace a canvas.
Alexa Wilding in Dante Gabriel Rossetti’s La Ghirlandata
Alexa’s features created a new, exciting change in Rossetti’s work, to the chagrin of his longtime model Fanny Cornforth. Fanny’s appearance in his work had become less marketable, thus the need for a fresh face to paint.
Rossetti’s original design for the lovely Lady Lilith (R) featured Fanny Cornforth. However, he replaced her with Alexa Wilding when his patron Frederick Leyland suggested that Fanny was too earthy.
Fanny need not have worried that Alexa would supplant Rossetti’s affections. He truly liked Alexa, but often remarked that he found her dull. His studio assistant described her as “without any variety of expression. She sat like a Sphinx, waiting to be questioned, and with always a vague reply in return… But she had a deep well of affection within her seemingly placid exterior.”
In his work, Rossetti created images of Alexa that are vibrant and striking. She is the quintessential Pre-Raphaelite beauty, and her face has captivated generations.
