Portrait of Aflaia Coronio 1870

Dante Gabriel Rossetti made this portrait of Aflaia Coronio in 1870 using pastel on paper. As a founding member of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, Rossetti and his circle rejected the artistic conventions promoted by the Royal Academy in Victorian England. Rossetti looked to medieval and early Renaissance art for inspiration, creating images that celebrated beauty, sensuality, and romantic love. Here, Aflaia Coronio's features are idealized, her gaze averted in a manner that emphasizes her ethereal beauty rather than engaging directly with the viewer. Rossetti's choice of pastel as a medium contributes to the soft, dreamlike quality of the portrait. To understand this portrait fully, we can consult letters, diaries, and exhibition reviews from the period to examine the evolving tastes and social values of Victorian England, as well as the role of artists in challenging or reinforcing those values. The meaning of art is always contingent on its social and institutional context.