The Death of Lady Macbeth – Compositional Study 1996

"The Death of Lady Macbeth – Compositional Study" is a pencil drawing by Dante Gabriel Rossetti, completed in 1896. The drawing depicts a scene from Shakespeare's Macbeth, where Lady Macbeth, wracked with guilt for her actions, is tended to by her attendants. The drawing captures the somber mood of the scene, with Lady Macbeth's anguish evident in her slumped posture and the gentle, almost mournful gestures of the women attending her. Rossetti's detailed draftsmanship lends a sense of realism to the composition, despite the work being a preparatory study for a larger painting. This drawing is a testament to Rossetti's skill in capturing the emotional weight of a literary scene.