117. The Radical Rossettis - with Carol Jacobi, Curator at Tate Britain

Break Out Culture With Ed Vaizey by Country and Town House

We’re talking to curator Carol Jacobi about ‘The Rossettis’, an exhibition of over 150 works at Tate Britain, celebrating the romance and radicalism of Dante Gabriel, Christina and Elizabeth née Siddall. It’s the first ever retrospective of Dante Gabriel Rossetti at the Tate and the largest exhibition of his work in two decades, as well as being the first retrospective of Elizabeth Siddal for 30 years.

The exhibition sets out to shed light on just how ground-breaking the Rossetti family’s work was, from Christina’s poetry (first published when she was just 16) to their paintings and even their designs for clothing and interiors. Carol convinces detractors that the Pre-Raphaelite movement marked a significant shift towards depicting more intimate and personal subject matter, and argues that a reappraisal of them as highly talented and extraordinary radicals is long overdue.

‘The Rossettis’ runs at Tate Britain until 24th September

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