Alexa Wilding 1877

Dante Gabriel Rossetti rendered *Alexa Wilding* with graphite and colored chalks on paper, capturing the likeness of one of his favorite models. Rossetti and others in the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood often depicted women based on a combination of romanticized ideals and the realities of women’s limited social roles. Alexa Wilding came from a working-class background, and her identity as a woman and a member of the working class was often at odds with the ethereal figures Rossetti painted. It is interesting to note that the women portrayed were both muses and active participants in the construction of the image. In contrast to other Pre-Raphaelite models like Lizzie Siddal and Jane Morris, Wilding managed to maintain a degree of separation from the artist and the Pre-Raphaelite circle. The portrait maintains a sense of distance, hinting at the complex dynamics of Victorian England. It also captures the model’s quiet self-possession amidst the cultural and social expectations of the time.