Alexa Wilding 1877

Dante Gabriel Rossetti's "Alexa Wilding," a drawing in brown and red chalk, invites us to consider its muted palette and the subject's introspective gaze. The composition is dominated by a close-up view of Wilding, whose cascading auburn hair and delicate features are rendered with meticulous detail. Rossetti’s use of color and texture is particularly striking. The subtle gradations of red and brown create a sense of depth, while the chalk medium gives the surface a soft, almost dreamlike quality. This careful attention to form serves to elevate Wilding from a mere model to an emblem of Pre-Raphaelite beauty. The lack of definitive narrative context encourages us to focus on the visual elements themselves, highlighting the formal qualities of line, color, and composition. In this way, Rossetti invites us to engage with the drawing as a carefully constructed arrangement of aesthetic elements, rather than simply a portrait.