This is an updated version of an article first published on January 13, 2020
Elizabeth Siddal, or Lizzie as she came to be called, was born in London on July 25, 1829 and grew up with an appreciation for poetry and art. She was discovered by British artist Walter Howell Deverell, who then told fellow Pre-Raphaelites Dante Gabriel Rossetti and William Holman Hunt about the exquisite woman he encountered. At that time, Siddal worked in a hat shop, which meant difficult working conditions and long hours. Because of the circumstances, Lizzie's mother came up with the suggestion that her daughter work as a model, despite its association with prostitution.
The Pre-Raphaelites were founded by the artists John Everett Millais, Dante Gabriel Rossetti and William Holman Hunt in 1848. It was a secret group of seven British artists, poets and art critics who had been inspired by the author and art critic John Ruskin. The group eschewed the style ideals that prevailed at the time, which were influenced by Raphael and Michelangelo. Their work was a return to pre-Renaissance ideals of works, which were rich with detail, harkened to history and myth and promoted medieval culture.
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The famous painting which Lizzie modeled for is Millais' Ophelia, which was completed in 1852. She posed for Millais in a bathtub filled with water during winter time. He placed oil lamps under the tub to keep the water warm but the lights went out, causing Lizzie to lie in the icy water. After the time in the cold bath, she got pneumonia and started taking laudanum (opium drops) as a pain reliever.
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When the artwork was completed, Lizzie became famous and more artists wanted to work with her. She modeled for artist Dante Gabriel Rossetti, but he did not like all the attention she received from other artists. As a result, Lizzie exclusively joined his studio and he portrayed her as the idealized woman: beautiful, educated, wealthy and spiritual. They became a couple, but their relationship was stormy and they were engaged for ten years because Rossetti refused to set a date for the wedding, as he was nervous of the backlash from his prominent family. During these years he had numerous affairs and the heartbroken Lizzie became addicted to laudanum.
Despite the misery that characterized their relationship, Lizzie learned to paint thanks to Rossetti and became a successful artist and poet in her own right. John Ruskin said she was a genius, and she was also the only female artist to exhibit at the Pre-Raphaelite exhibition in London in 1857. She then moved to Sheffield where she continued to develop her artistry and poetry.
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In early 1860, Lizzie's health deteriorated and when Rossetti heard about her failing health, he married her immediately. She then lived in Hastings, but was in such poor condition that she had to be carried to the church to attend her own wedding. The year after the wedding she became pregnant, but suffered a miscarriage. Lizzie became depressed afterwards, but became pregnant again the same year. Unfortunately, Lizzie committed suicide during this pregnancy on February 11, 1862.
It was Rossetti who discovered her lifeless in bed. Next to her was a bottle of laudanum and a note asking him to take care of her brother. Rossetti burned the note and other evidence suggesting suicide because at this time a Christian burial was denied if one killed themselves.
When Lizzie was buried, Rossetti put the only copy of his poems in her coffin, something he would regret a few years later. After seven years, Rossetti had become unstable and asked his friend to exhume the body and retrieve the collection of poems. The friend then told Rossetti how her body had been beautifully preserved and her copper-colored hair filled the entire coffin. Though it may just be a myth, the image of the beautiful Elizabeth Siddal as immortal prevailed.
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The current auction record for a work by Siddal is St. Agnes' Eve, a brown ink work from 1836, which sold at Christie's in 2009 for $27,219. Edward Burne-Jones' Three Marys, of which one of the Marys was inspired by Elizabeth Siddal, sold at Sotheby's in 2018 for $334,312 and a drawing titled Elizabeth Siddal seated in a chair by Dante Gabriel Rossetti sold for $120,540 at Christie's at 2004.
