Red House (interior)

William Morris' influence can be seen throughout the interior of Red House, flowery wallpaper, huge settles done in a medieval style, and murals painted by his artist friends Dante Gabriel Rossetti and Lizzie Siddal.

unfinished tapestry of Aphrodite 

The house has only been owned by the National Trust for 10 years, so it still quiet sparse. They are still in the process of refurnishing the house as it was in Morris' day, and still uncovering original features hidden under layers of paint.

For more pictures of the inside of the Red House have a look under the jump:-

Highgate Cemetery- The Rossetti Family

Following on from my previous post, one of the sites I was keen to see on my visit to Highgate Cemetery was the burial site of the Rossetti family.

Dante Gabriel Rossetti- Lady Lilith 

Both my mum and me are  fans of the paintings of Dante Gabriel Rossetti, we went to see the exhibition of the pre-Raphaelite brothers at the Tate. Lady Lilith is a particular favourite of mine, the colours and textures are so lush. Plus, I have complete hair envy.

My main interest however is in the Rossetti women. Dante's sister, Christina was a talented poet. Her poem Goblin Market can be read here. It is a sapphic and delightfully creepy fairytale.

Dante's mistreated wife, Elizabeth 'Lizzie' Siddal, is also of interest to me. She was often overlooked, best known as a muse for the PRB, she a talented poet and painter in her own right. Her death and Dante's subsequent actions are one of the more tragic and infamous tales of Highgate Cemetery.