Fanny Cornforth (1835-1909), born Sarah Cox in Sussex, England, modelled frequently for Rossetti, becoming not only his muse and companion, but an artistic collaborator on many of his paintings of the early 1860s. Cornforth is indeed the sitter for this small yet striking panel, long thought to mark a point of transition from Rossetti’s earlier medieval-inspired work, to what the artist himself characterized as a “rather Venetian aspect.” His more painterly handling and opulent palette render Cornforth’s lush copper locks, gilded jewelry, and plump, pursed lips sensually captivating. Yet, the physical immediacy of her positioning so near the picture plane is undercut by the psychological distance implied in her oblique gaze. In depicting her idealized sensuality, Rossetti drew on 16th-century Venetian precedents, as exemplified in the work of Titian. While “Bocca Baciata” presents a departure from the narrative complexity of Rossetti’s earlier work, it maintains firm literary connections. The title references a line from the “Decameron,” written by 14th-century Italian author Giovanni Boccaccio: “Bocca baciata non perde ventura, anzi rinnuova come fa la luna” (“The mouth that has been kissed loses not its freshness; still it renews itself even as does the moon”). Rossetti inscribed this verse, with subtle variations in spelling, on the back of the panel.

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