Возлюбленная
Данте Габриэль Россетти
1865-1866. Холст, масло. 80x76 см. Tate Gallery, London.
This painting illustrates the Song of Solomon. Two passages from the Song of Solomon are inscribed on the picture's gilded frame: "My beloved is mine and I am his (2:16)" and "Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth: for thy love is better than wine (1:2)". The bride, caught in the action of moving back her veil, is attended by four virginal bridesmaids and an African page. All contrast strikingly with the red hair and pale skin of the bride: not just the African skin and features, but also the varying shades of brunette hair and dark caucasian skin tones of all four bridesmaids. It has been suggested that this colour contrast, carefully painted as a frame to the bride's features, was influenced by a controversial painting by Édouard Manet, entitled Olympia (first exhibited in 1865). Rossetti made a visit to Manet while working on The Beloved, and the painting also owes much to the works of Titian.