Fine Art Poster
From $120
A giclée print on 200gsm matte fine art paper, using a twelve-colour process for accurate, fade-resistant colour. Supplied unframed, delivered flat or rolled.
Sold out
The Pia de' Tolomei - Dante Gabriel Rossetti
Regular price
$120.00 NZD
Sale price
$120.00 NZD
Regular price
Archival giclée
Frames arrive ready to hang
Secure checkout
Made to order
Description
A haunting portrait of the Sienese noblewoman Pia de' Tolomei, painted by Dante Gabriel Rossetti with his characteristic focus on symbolism and literary themes.
Dante Gabriel Rossetti painted this work over a period of twelve years, beginning in 1868. The subject is drawn from the fifth canto of Dante Alighieri's Purgatorio. Pia de' Tolomei was a Sienese noblewoman who was imprisoned and eventually murdered by her husband in the Maremma. Rossetti depicts her in a state of melancholy reflection, seated within a stone enclosure.
The model for this painting is Jane Morris, whose features appear in many of Rossetti's later works. Her long, auburn hair and pale complexion are rendered with careful attention to texture and light. She wears a loose, flowing garment, and her hands are clasped in a gesture of resignation. Beside her lie a prayer book and rosary beads, symbols of her piety and her confinement. A sundial in the foreground serves as a memento mori, marking the passage of time during her long imprisonment.
In the background, the landscape of the Maremma is visible, with birds circling above a distant tower. The foliage, particularly the fig leaves, is painted with a focus on botanical detail, a hallmark of the Pre-Raphaelite style. The composition balances the figure of the woman with the symbolic objects surrounding her, creating a narrative of isolation and sorrow. The colour palette is dominated by muted earth tones, contrasted by the deep green of the leaves and the warm hues of the subject's hair. This work demonstrates Rossetti's interest in medieval literature and his ability to translate poetic themes into visual form. The painting remains a significant example of his later period, where he moved away from the group dynamics of the early Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood toward more personal, symbolic explorations of female beauty and tragic history.
Return policy
Because every print is made to order, we don't offer change-of-mind returns, refunds or exchanges. If your order arrives faulty, damaged or incorrect, we'll replace it free of charge — just contact us within 48 hours of delivery. See our refunds page for full details.
Shipping
We ship worldwide, printing at the production hub nearest to your delivery address. Delivery times and costs vary by destination — you'll see the options available to you at checkout.
Manufacturing
Each print is produced to order using 12-colour giclée printing on FSC-certified archival paper. Designed in Britain and printed at your nearest production hub to reduce waste and speed up delivery.
Care and materials
Specific Features
Every Solis piece is made to order with archival, gallery-quality materials built to last.
- Museum-grade giclée printing for rich, fade-resistant colour
- Archival matte fine-art paper, FSC-certified
- Multiple sizes and framing options available
- Frames in black, natural wood, dark wood or white
- Framed prints arrive ready to hang
Care & Cleaning
To keep your artwork looking its best:
- Dust gently with a soft, dry cloth
- Avoid prolonged direct sunlight
- Never use liquid cleaners on the print or canvas surface
- Keep in a dry, room-temperature space
- Handle prints with clean, dry hands
Materials & Sizing
Museum-grade giclée on FSC-certified archival matte paper, with framed and canvas options.
- Paper sizes: A4, A3, A2, A1, A0 and B2 (50×70 cm)
- Canvas: XS (20×30 cm) to Large (60×90 cm)
- Frames: black, natural wood, dark wood or white
Complete The Look
The Pia de' Tolomei - Dante Gabriel Rossetti
Fine Art Poster / Small Square (30x30 cm) / -
Artist Biography
Dante Gabriel Rossetti
Rossetti was the engine of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. He co-founded it in 1848 with Holman Hunt and John Everett Millais, writing the manifesto, recruiting members, and generating the intensity that held the group together. He was nineteen. The name was deliberately provocative: they wanted to reject everything after Raphael, which was most of Western art.
He was born in London to an Italian political exile and named after the author of the Divine Comedy. His father was a professor of Italian at King's College. The household ran on poetry, politics, and argument. Rossetti wrote verse throughout his life and considered himself a poet as much as a painter.
His early paintings are small, bright, and meticulously detailed in the Pre-Raphaelite manner. The Girlhood of Mary Virgin and Ecce Ancilla Domini have the flat, jewelled quality of medieval altarpieces. After 1860 the style changed. The paintings became larger, more sensual, and dominated by the face and figure of Jane Burden, who was William Morris's wife.
The relationship between Rossetti, Morris, and Jane is one of the more uncomfortable triangles in art history. Morris married her. Rossetti painted her obsessively. She modelled for Proserpine, La Pia de' Tolomei, and dozens of other works in which she appears as a mythological woman trapped in an unwanted situation. Whether the affair was physical remains debated. Morris, characteristically, said nothing publicly and channelled his feelings into wallpaper.
Rossetti buried a manuscript of his poems in his wife Lizzie Siddal's coffin when she died of a laudanum overdose in 1862. Seven years later he had the coffin exhumed to retrieve them. He published the poems. He was addicted to chloral hydrate by then and increasingly paranoid. He died in 1882, at fifty-three.
He was born in London to an Italian political exile and named after the author of the Divine Comedy. His father was a professor of Italian at King's College. The household ran on poetry, politics, and argument. Rossetti wrote verse throughout his life and considered himself a poet as much as a painter.
His early paintings are small, bright, and meticulously detailed in the Pre-Raphaelite manner. The Girlhood of Mary Virgin and Ecce Ancilla Domini have the flat, jewelled quality of medieval altarpieces. After 1860 the style changed. The paintings became larger, more sensual, and dominated by the face and figure of Jane Burden, who was William Morris's wife.
The relationship between Rossetti, Morris, and Jane is one of the more uncomfortable triangles in art history. Morris married her. Rossetti painted her obsessively. She modelled for Proserpine, La Pia de' Tolomei, and dozens of other works in which she appears as a mythological woman trapped in an unwanted situation. Whether the affair was physical remains debated. Morris, characteristically, said nothing publicly and channelled his feelings into wallpaper.
Rossetti buried a manuscript of his poems in his wife Lizzie Siddal's coffin when she died of a laudanum overdose in 1862. Seven years later he had the coffin exhumed to retrieve them. He published the poems. He was addicted to chloral hydrate by then and increasingly paranoid. He died in 1882, at fifty-three.
Made to order
Choose your finish
Every piece is printed to order. These are the five finishes, and what makes each one different.
Fine Art Framed
From $250
The same fine art print in a solid wood frame with UV-protective acrylic glaze and rigid backing. Five frame colours. Arrives ready to hang.
Why Choose Us ?
Damage-free delivery guarantee
Fast Shipping
Museum-Quality Materials
You May Also Like