Dante Gabriel Rossetti’s paintings are described to be a ‘golden, dim dream’. Rossetti created a world with complex symbols, creating a dream-like nature in both his paintings and poems. This kind of other-worldly mood in Rossetti’s works is not only induced by literary allusions, but also by the intricate symbolisms, which often weaves personal experiences and mythological references into complex and layered narratives. In this essay, we will explore the ways in which Rossetti's use of symbolism contributes to the dream-like nature of his paintings and poetry, and how his personal experiences and interests are reflected in his art.

Sharing the namesake with the literary master, Rossetti maintained a lifelong interest in the iconic Italian poet Dante Alighieri. He painted many scenes from literature by Dante, for example Dante’s Dream in 1871, which is also Rossetti’s largest painting. While drawing inspiration from Dante's work La Vita Nuova, Rossetti incorporates his own personal experiences into the painting. The painting depicts a poignant moment in which Dante envisions dead Beatrice lying on her funeral bier in his dream. In the painting, Dante, in black, stands looking towards Beatrice, who was the object of his unrequited love. Two female figures in green hold a canopy over her, where the green clothes signify hope. The flowers spread on the foreground are symbols of purity. The stairs on the right side of the painting appears to be distorted. In the middle of the painting, an angel tenderly grasps Dante's hand and leans forward to kiss Beatrice, infusing the composition with a sense of ethereal beauty and divine love. In contrast to other artists who depicted historical or literary themes who focus on detailed documentation of the original text, Rossetti prioritized his own imaginative interpretation of the source material, infusing his own lived experiences in the paintings. He idealized his deceased muse and wife Elizabeth Siddal, who died at the young age of 33, as Dante's beloved Beatrice in a number of paintings, such as Beata Beatrix. The picture is a portrait of Elizabeth Siddal, personifying the character of Beatrice. The painting conveys a hazy and transcendental quality and is filled with symbolic references. In the foreground of the painting, the central female figure is depicted sitting with her head slightly raised and her eyes gently closed, with her hands before her and her lips parted. The green and grey of her dress are the colors of hope and sorrow. In a letter written by Rossetti, he expressed his intention to portray her transformation by a ‘sudden spiritual transfiguration’ instead of the moment of death. In the right side of the foreground, there is a striking red dove, symbolizing the Holy Spirit. Though traditionally associated with love and purity, the dove is holding a white poppy in its beak, which is a symbol for opium use which finally causes the death of Elizabeth Siddal. This adds another layer of meaning to the dove as a messenger of death, subverting the traditional symbolism. Positioned directly above the dove is a sundial, indicating the number nine, symbolizing the moment of Beatrice's death at nine o'clock on June 9th, 1290. In the background of the picture, we can see Ponte Vecchio, which signifies the city of Florence, referring to Dante’s description in the poem of how Florence mourns Beatrice’s death. The two shadowy figures who gazed at each other in the background are Dante and Love, holding a flickering flame in her palm, which appears to signify Beatrice’s life. Both Beatrice and Love are depicted with mysterious lighting behind them, which adds to the dreamlike and enigmatic atmosphere of the painting.

The depiction of female figures is always a prevalent theme in Rossetti’s work, and many of these works appear to continue the age-old dichotomy of body and soul. In the painting Lady Lilith, Rossetti illustrates the sensual side of the beauty, which stands in sharp contrast with the spiritual female idols. Lilith is not a common subject in art history or in folklore, Rosetti could have chosen to paint other female characters who possess long literary and pictorial traditions like Salome, but instead, he chose to paint Lilith.  According to legend, she was created with Adam from the same handful of dust. As his equal, she refused to be subordinate to him and fled to consort with demons. As she refused to come back to Adam, her own demon-spawned infants die each day, and she preys on the children of others. Rossetti once describes Lilith’s lethal charm in his poem Body’s Beauty, he especially mentions her ‘enchanted hair was the first gold’. And in his painting, Rossetti depicts Lilith as a youthful woman, combing her long, golden hair while looking intently at her reflection in a mirror held in her hands. He illustrates Lilith’s flowing hair as a symbol of the destructive power. Though the term femme fatale is never used by Rossetti, Lilith can be seen as an early form of this phrase. In the painting, Lilith is depicted gazing at herself in the mirror with an intense contemplation, drawing others into her world with a complete self-absorption. Rossetti's poem describes this quality as "Young while the earth is old, / And subtly of herself contemplative, / Draws men to watch the bright web she can weave, / Till heart and body and life are in its hold." On the other hand, Lilith represents the archetype of the New Woman, free from male domination and a challenge to the traditional Victorian family structure. She embodies the anxieties and allure of Rossetti's generation. These anxieties arose from the confrontation with the Women's Emancipation Movement during the 1860s.

Overall, Rossetti’s artwork is heavily influenced by the themes and characters literary works. Through his imaginative interpretation of the source material, Rossetti was able to infuse his own personal experiences and emotions into his paintings, creating a unique and distinct style. His depictions of female figures are particularly notable, as they often challenge the traditional ideals of femininity and the dichotomy of body and soul. Whether it is through the idealized depiction of his deceased muse or the portrayal of the seductive Lilith, Rossetti’s art continues to captivate and intrigue viewers with its ethereal beauty and symbolic references.