Portrait Of May Morris 

Dante Gabriel Rossetti created this portrait of May Morris, daughter of William Morris, a leading figure in the Arts and Crafts movement. Rossetti, deeply embedded in the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, often depicted women with a sense of ethereal beauty and melancholy. May, however, was not merely a muse; she was an accomplished designer and craftswoman in her own right. It is difficult to look at this image without imagining what it must have been like to be the subject of the male gaze, especially one as intense as Rossetti’s. Her expression, caught in the soft strokes of the drawing, suggests both a pensiveness and a quiet strength. During a time when women's roles were narrowly defined, May carved her own path, deeply involved in socialist politics and advocating for women's education and suffrage. The portrait is a reminder of the complex interplay between art, identity, and the ongoing struggle for gender equality.