Elizabeth Siddall:
A Pathfinder
Miniature of Elizabeth Siddall,
attributed to Dante Gabriel Rossetti
Introduction and Scope
Elizabeth Eleanor Siddall's face looks out from some of the most famous paintings of the Victorian Age; she is Millais' Ophelia and Rossetti's Beatrice. Siddall has most often been identified as the principle model and muse of the Pre-Raphaelite art movement of the mid-nineteenth century. Nearly a century and a half since her death, controversy, rumors, and legend still cloud history's picture of her. Her long and difficult relationship with Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood founder Dante Gabriel Rossetti, her mysterious illnesses and early death, and her exhumation have long overshadowed Siddall's own work as an artist and poet.
With the mainstreaming of feminist criticism, however, Siddall's artwork has again been exhibited and received much critical reevaluation. This pathfinder will introduce you to Siddall as an historical figure, an artist, and a legend. Please note, titles of references sited will often refer to the subject as "Siddal" (spelling favored by Dante Gabriel Rossetti and adopted by Siddall). For the purpose of this pathfinder, I employ the second "l" to maintain the historically correct spelling of Siddall's family name.
This pathfinder is an introduction to one of the most captivating figures of the nineteenth century art world. Those studying Victorian art, female artists, or those interested in feminist perspectives of the mid-nineteenth century English art world will find this pathfinder most useful.
The pathfinder is arranged primarily according to theme rather than by
type of reference work. Critical perspectives of Siddall's art, both contemporary to Siddall and modern, are presented. In that Siddall's legend has inspired a large body of fictional work, information on this literature is given as well as factual resources. Web links to Siddall's art are also provided.
All of the resources presented in this pathfinder can be found in the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's Davis Library and Sloane Art Library. All web-based indexes and databases are available through the University's E-Indexes and Databases repository. For each item, the
location in the library is given where applicable.
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LC (Library of Congress) Subject Headings
Use the following subject headings when searching the UNC-CH Library
Catalogs at http://www.lib.unc.edu/catalogs/.
Be sure to select Subject Heading as the search type.
- Rossetti, Elizabeth Eleanor.
- Rossetti, Eleanor Elizabeth.
- Siddall, Elizabeth.
- Siddall, Elizabeth -- Drama.
- Siddall, Elizabeth -- Fiction.
- Siddall, Elizabeth -- Portraits -- Exhibitions.
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Bibliographical Resources
The following bibliographies list the major works on Siddall,
female artists, and Pre-Raphaelitism in general. Whether searching for a comprehensive
overview or detailed information on one aspect of Siddall's life or work, these
bibliographies will prove useful.
- Fredeman, William E. Pre-Raphaelitism: A Bibliocritical
Study. London and Cambridge, Mass. 1965
- Location: UNC-CH Davis Library (8th Floor) and Sloane Art
Library (2nd Floor), Call Number: Z5948.P9 F7.
- Full listing of articles and books published before 1965
on the Pre-Raphaelites. Provides best known, comprehensive listing of
works on the topic. Although recent works on Siddall are, due to date,
not included, this is a useful source for Pre-Raphaelite information.
- Marsh, Jan. Elizabeth Siddal, 1829-1862 : Pre-Raphaelite
Artist. Sheffield: Ruskin Gallery, 1991. Other Author : Siddall, Elizabeth.
- Includes bibliographical references (p. 80-81).
- Location: UNC-CH Sloane Art Library, 2nd Floor, Call Number:
N6797.S55 M34 1991
- Provides numerous bibliographical references. Bibliography
section compiled by foremost Siddall scholar. Cites frequently referenced
and verifiable materials on Siddall.
- Piland, Sherry. Women Artists: An Historical, Contemporary,
and Feminist Bibliography. New Jersey: Scarecrow Press. 1994.
- Location: UNC-CH Davis Library (1st Floor) and Sloane Art
Library (1st Floor) Reference Collections, Call Number: N8354 .P553 1994,
non-circulating.
- Bibliography covering historical and contemporary female
artists from feminist perspective. Gives numerous resources providing
quite varying perspectives on Siddall and other female artists. Presents
works both critical to and praising of Siddall's art.
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Biographical Information
The following resources provide information on Siddall as an
historical person. While the reliability of some sources is questionable, these
resources represent biographical information from the time of Siddall's death
to her recent re-examination by feminist authors.
- Marsh, Jan. "Art, Ambition and Sisterhood in the 1850s."
Women in the Victorian Art World. Clarissa Campbell Orr, ed. Manchester:
Manchester Univ. Press. 1995. p. 33-48.
- Location: UNC-CH Sloane Art Library, 2nd Floor, Call Number:
N6767.5.V52 W65 1995.
- Essay delves into Siddall's character as an artist and as a person.
Piece presents Siddall as an independent young artist who did not subscribe
to the usual roles or mores for women of her time; depicts her in a fresh
light as an artist who was very much ahead of her time. Also very interesting
because it pulls no punches in stating that Siddall's artistic abilities
were rough.
- Marsh, Jan. Elizabeth Siddal, 1829-1862 : Pre-Raphaelite
Artist. Sheffield: Ruskin Gallery, 1991. Other Author : Siddall, Elizabeth.
- Location: UNC-CH Sloane Art Library, 2nd Floor, Call Number:
N6797.S55 M34 1991
- Provides numerous examples and critiques of Siddall's artwork.
Work focuses on Siddall alone as artist and poet. Prepared in complement
to exhibit of Siddall's work at the Ruskin Gallery.
- Siddall, Elizabeth. Poems and drawings of Elizabeth Siddal.
Wolfville, N.S., Canada: Wombat Press, 1978. Other Author: Lewis, Roger C.
Samuels Lasner, Mark.
- Location: UNC-CH Davis Library, 7th Floor, Call Number:
PR5452.S19 P6 1978
- Comprehensive collection of Siddall's surviving poems, sketches,
and paintings. First publication of Siddall's work alone in over 100 years.
- Taylor, Beverly. "Beatrix, Creatrix: Elizabeth Siddal as
Muse and Creator." Journal of Pre-Raphaelite Studies. v. 4. Spring
1995. p. 29-48.
- Location: UNC-CH Davis Library, 6th Floor, Call Number:
NX543.P682.
- Thought provoking piece on symbolism of women in Siddall's
art. Does not present only biographical reading; goes further than other
feminist criticisms which limit themselves to examinations of Siddall's
relationship with Dante Gabriel Rossetti. Sees Siddall's portrayals of
women in her work as larger than just representations of her relationship
with Rossetti. Focuses on Siddall's representations of women in her art
as impassive and notes respect her contemporaries had for her work.
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Legend
These works provide information on Siddall as a legend
and how that legend has changed in the years since her death. From scholarly
works attempting to separate fact from invention to fictional appropriations
of her character, these resources are representative of the different types
of works which seek to dispel and add to the Siddall myth.
- Journal of Pre-Raphaelite Studies. Alternate Titles:
Journal of Pre-Raphaelite and Aesthetic Studies, JPRAS and JPRS.
Kutztown, PA: Kutztown University of Pennsylvania (current publisher).
- Location: UNC-CH Davis Library, 6th Floor, Call Numbers:
NX543.P681 -- v.1-7(1980/81-1987/88); NX543.P682 -- v.1-current.
- Excellent resource for information on Pre-Raphaelite movement
and current debates within the field of study. Seminal journal of Pre-Raphaelite
study. Includes articles on Siddall as model, wife of Dante Gabriel Rossetti,
and artist. Please see the Biographical, Artist, and Legend sections of
this pathfinder for examples.
- Woman's Art Journal. Knoxville, Tenn.: Woman's Art.
- Location: UNC-CH Sloane Art Library, 1st Floor, no Call
Number, journals arranged alphabetically.
- Journal provides information on scholarship in women's art,
including works dealing specifically with Siddall (for example, Elaine
Shefer's "Elizabeth Siddal's Lady of Shalott," v. 9, Spring/Summer
1988, p. 21-29). Published twice yearly.
Ophelia, Modeled by Elizabeth Siddall
John Everett Millais, 1852
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Web Resources
The following are reputable Web sites dealing with Elizabeth
Siddall and the Pre-Raphaelite movement. Samples of Siddall's work as well
as information on her life and how she fits within the context of her time
are included.
- ArtMagick
link to Siddall
- Provides extensive collection of portraits and poetry by
Siddall as well as a short biography. Gives information on where to order
reproductions of Siddall's work. By taking link to ArtMagick's homepage,
viewers can also find similar information on numerous other Pre-Raphaelite
and Victorian artists. ArtMagick "is a non-profit virtual art gallery
displaying paintings and poetry from art movements of the 19th and 20th
centuries."
- Lizzie
Siddal: Lover, Wife, Model, Artist, Poet
- Gives links to art and poetry by Siddall as well as criticisms
of her work and contemporary responses to her life. Compiled by Dr. Kathleen
L. Nichols, Professor of English and Coordinator of Women's Studies at
Pittsburg State University.
- The Pre-Raphaelite
Critic
- Offers contemporary criticism of the Pre-Raphaelite movement.
Provides links to a great deal of Pre-Raphaelite paintings, reviews, photographs,
and parodies. Lists extensive resources, both print and living. Gives
good overview of the movement which would be useful to person just learning
about the Pre-Raphaelites as well as one who is very familiar with the
subject. Helps the user to place Siddall in the context of the Pre-Raphaelite
movement as a whole.
- Women
as Subject in Victorian Art -- Representations of Women
- Site addresses women in Victorian art, both as artists and
as models. Places Siddall in the framework of her time. Part of the Victorian
Web, a project funded by the University Scholars Program, National University
of Singapore.
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Abstracts and Indexes
Using the following electronic tools, you will find lists of
works on Siddall as well as abrstracts about these works. These sources are
listed alphabetically in UNC-CH's Electronic
Indexes and Databases.
- Art Abstracts (ArtAbstracts) Via OCLC FirstSearch.
- Available through UNC-CH E-Indexes and Databases. Allows
the user to easily browse for information sources on Siddall, Pre-Raphaelitism,
and many other art subjects.
- Please note, in order to retrieve a complete listing of
materials on Siddall, use as search terms both spellings of her surname
(Siddall and Siddal).
- ARTbibliographies Modern.
- Available through UNC-CH E-Indexes and Databases. Provides
up to date bibliographic information on Siddall, Pre-Raphaelitism, and
other art-related subjects.
- Please note, in order to retrieve a complete listing of
materials on Siddall, use as search terms both spellings of her surname
(Siddall and Siddal).
- Bibliography of the History of Art (BHA).
- Available through UNC-CH E-Indexes and Databases. Provides
up to date bibliographic information on Siddall, Pre-Raphaelitism, and
other art-related subjects. Quite comprehensive.
- Please note, in order to retrieve a complete listing of materials on
Siddall, use as search terms both spellings of her surname (Siddall
and Siddal).
- Poole's Plus: the Digital Index for the Nineteenth Century.
- Available through UNC-CH E-Indexes and Databases. Index gives the user
access to extensive information on the Nineteenth Century in general.
Includes items on Siddall, Pre-Raphaelitism, and the Victorian period
in specific.
- Please note, in order to retrieve a complete listing of materials
on Siddall, use as search terms both spellings of her surname (Siddall
and Siddal).
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Frequently Mentioned Texts
Citations of the following texts arise frequently in non-fiction
writings on Siddall and are good starting points from which to begin a study
of the artist.
- Cherry, Deborah. "Woman as Sign in Pre-Raphaelite Literature:
A Study of the Representation of Elizabeth Siddall." Art History.
v. 2. June 1984. p. 206-227.
- Location: UNC-CH Sloane Art Library, 1st Floor, no Call
Number, journals arranged alphabetically.
- Splits Siddall into two entities: "Siddall"
the historical woman and artist and "Siddal" the creation
of Dante Gabriel Rossetti and various writers. Analyzes previous and
current writings about Siddall and attempts to demonstrate that Siddall
was reconstructed into Siddal, a passive image of Victorian femininity.
This work pre-dates most other works of modern feminist scholarship
on Siddall and is often cited in the writings of Jan Marsh and other
Siddall scholars.
- Marsh, Jan. Pre-Raphaelite Sisterhood. New York:
St. Martin's Press. 1985.
- Location: UNC-CH Davis Library, 6th Floor, Call Number:
N6767.5.P7 M37 1985.
- Re-examines Pre-Raphaelite art movement, previously centered
on the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, and asserts that women also played
a vital role in the movement. One of the first works to address the
idea of a Pre-Raphaelite sisterhood as opposed to the Pre-Raphaelite
Brotherhood - PRB - the traditional name of the Pre-Raphaelite art movement.
Often cited in other works on women in the Pre-Raphaelite movement.
Written by foremost Siddall scholar.
- Marsh, Jan. Pre-Raphaelite Women: Images of Femininity.
New York: Harmony Books. 1987.
- Location: UNC-CH Sloane Art Library, 2nd Floor, Call Number:
FOLIO N6767.5.P7 M38 1988.
- Valuable because it views Siddall in context of other
women in the Pre-Raphaelite movement. Puts Siddall in the context of
other women in the Pre-Raphaelite movement. Written by foremost Siddall
scholar.
- Nunn, Pamela Gerrish. Victorian Women Artists. London:
Women's Press Limited. 1987.
- Location: UNC-CH Sloane Art Library, 2nd Floor, Call Number:
N6767.5.V52 N86 1987.
- Provides information on Siddall as artist and person in
context of other female artists of the time. This particular book is
cited in multiple works on Siddall specifically and in several other
works dealing with female artists of the time.
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Encyclopedias and Dictionaries
- Artcyclopedia
- Artcyclopedia, the Fine Art Search Engine, entry
on Siddall.
- Please note, in order to retrieve a complete listing
of materials on Siddall, use as search terms both spellings of
her surname (Siddall and Siddal).
- Grove Dictionary of Art Online
- Available through UNC-CH E-Indexes and Databases.
- Please note, in order to retrieve a complete listing
of materials on Siddall, use as search terms both spellings of
her surname (Siddall and Siddal).
Clerk Saunders
Elizabeth Siddall, 1857
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Browsing Areas
- UNC-CH Sloane Art Library, 2nd Floor, Call Number Range:
N6767.5
- UNC-CH Davis Library, 6th Floor, Call Number
Range: N6767.5
The Lady of Shalott
Elizabeth Siddall, 1853
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Send comments or questions to: hallybur@email.unc.edu
Miniature of Elizabeth Siddall scanned from Jan
Marsh's Legend of Elizabeth Siddal.
All other images from ArtMagick website at http://www.artmagick.com. Site
grants permission for copy of images.
Page created: October 08, 2001 - Last updated:
November 20, 2001
