Jane Burden (1840-1914)
1858
Rossetti discovered Jane Burden in an Oxford theater audience and was instantly hooked, transforming the working-class daughter of a stableman into the ultimate Pre-Raphaelite muse. In this 1858 sketch—marked with the location in the top corner—you can see his obsession in action: her face and heavy, wavy hair are rendered with intense, dark detail, while her body remains a ghostly, unfinished outline. She sports the signature 'stunner' look with a strong jaw and melancholic eyes that would define the movement for decades. She eventually married Rossetti's friend William Morris, sparking one of the most famous artistic love triangles of the Victorian era.
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