The First Anniversary of the Death of Beatrice 1853

"The First Anniversary of the Death of Beatrice" is a 1853 painting by Dante Gabriel Rossetti, a central figure of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. It depicts a scene inspired by Dante Alighieri's *La Vita Nuova,* a collection of poems about Dante’s love for Beatrice Portinari, a young woman who died in 1290. The painting depicts a sorrowful Dante in a medieval setting receiving a visit from Beatrice, an idealized vision of his lost love. This melancholic yet symbolic work explores themes of loss, memory, and the enduring power of love, capturing the Pre-Raphaelite fascination with medieval literature and imagery. The painting is now in the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford.