The artwork “Beata Beatrix” was created by Dante Gabriel Rossetti between the years 1864 and 1870, using the medium of oil on canvas. It reflects the Romanticism movement and incorporates elements of literary painting and portraiture. The dimensions of this work are 86 by 66 centimeters. Its presence graces the collections of the Scottish National Gallery in Edinburgh, UK, and Tate Britain in London, UK.
The artwork portrays a woman in a state of tranquil repose or spiritual ecstasy, with her eyes gently closed and her head tilted upwards. Her garments are loose and flowing, rendered in a rich, dark green that drapes across her form. The color palette is dominated by warm hues that create an otherworldly glow around the figure, suggesting a spiritual or heavenly ambience. Behind the central figure, faint, ghostlike figures are discernible: one to the left appears to be standing in an open space bathed in a reddish hue, while another, to the right, is situated in a darker, more muted setting.
Foregrounded prominently in the piece is a bright red bird, which appears to be approaching the woman with a white poppy in its beak—a symbol that often represents sleep or death. A golden halo is situated on a table beside the bird, pulling the viewer’s attention to its significance. This artwork is rife with symbolic elements, possibly alluding to themes of love, death, and transcendence, which are common in Rossetti’s body of work and in the broader context of the Romantic movement.
