Proserpine Sold

Dante Gabriel Rossetti's drawing in coloured chalks Proserpine (1880) fetched £3,274,500 ($5,274,892) at Sotheby’s auction of British & Irish Art in London, establishing a new record price for Rossetti at auction. The drawing had been hidden in a private collection for over four decades. The winning telephone bid was by a UK private collector (CLICK). The model for Proserpine was William Morris's wife Jane Morris, who became Rossetti's muse and mistress. The pomegranate is a powerful symbol in ancient cultures around the world. Here it represents the Empress of the Underworld in Greek mythology.