Fanny Cornforth
Encyclopedia
Fanny Cornforth was an English
maidservant
who became a model
and mistress
to Pre-Raphaelite
painter Dante Gabriel Rossetti
. A member of the lower working class
of English society, Cornforth performed the duties of housekeeper
for Rossetti.
In Rossetti's paintings, Fanny Cornforth appears as a fleshy redhead, in contrast to his more ethereal treatments of his other models, Jane Morris
and Elizabeth Siddal
.
Cornforth met Rossetti in 1858, and became his model and mistress in the absence of Elizabeth Siddal
. Rossetti married Siddal when she returned in 1860, under the impression that she was dying. Many biographers presume that Siddal disliked Cornforth, but there is no actual proof that Siddal even knew of her existence. In response, less than three months later Cornforth married mechanic Timothy Hughes, but the relationship was short-lived. After Siddal's death in 1862, Cornforth moved in with the newly-widowed Rossetti as his housekeeper. The affair between Rossetti and Cornforth would last until Rossetti's own death. For much of this time Rossetti was engaged in an off-and-on relationship with Jane Morris, but because she was married to his colleague, William Morris
, the relationship was not made public.
His relationship with Cornforth, however, was. Cornforth came from the lower/rural working class of English society. Her coarse accent and presumed lack of education often shocked Rossetti's friends and family. Many of them never fully accepted her and at times they pressured Rossetti to end the affair.
Over the course of their relationship, Cornforth gained weight. Much has been made of this by biographers, but the growing girths of both Rossetti and Cornforth was a mutual joke between them. His pet name for her was "My Dear Elephant" and she called him "Rhino". When they were apart, he drew cartoons of elephants for her and sent them to her.
It is not known when or where Fanny died. Apparently suffering from senile dementia, in 1905 she was taken into care by her sister-in-law.
The many drawings of her by Rossetti include:
Those by other artists:
The Rossetti Archive has images of a large proportion of these.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
maidservant
Domestic worker
A domestic worker is a man, woman or child who works within the employer's household. Domestic workers perform a variety of household services for an individual or a family, from providing care for children and elderly dependents to cleaning and household maintenance, known as housekeeping...
who became a model
Model (art)
Art models are models who pose for photographers, painters, sculptors, and other artists as part of their work of art. Art models who pose in the nude for life drawing are usually called life models...
and mistress
Mistress (lover)
A mistress is a long-term female lover and companion who is not married to her partner; the term is used especially when her partner is married. The relationship generally is stable and at least semi-permanent; however, the couple does not live together openly. Also the relationship is usually,...
to Pre-Raphaelite
Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood
The Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood was a group of English painters, poets, and critics, founded in 1848 by William Holman Hunt, John Everett Millais and Dante Gabriel Rossetti...
painter Dante Gabriel Rossetti
Dante Gabriel Rossetti
Dante Gabriel Rossetti was an English poet, illustrator, painter and translator. He founded the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood in 1848 with William Holman Hunt and John Everett Millais, and was later to be the main inspiration for a second generation of artists and writers influenced by the movement,...
. A member of the lower working class
Working class
Working class is a term used in the social sciences and in ordinary conversation to describe those employed in lower tier jobs , often extending to those in unemployment or otherwise possessing below-average incomes...
of English society, Cornforth performed the duties of housekeeper
Housekeeper (servant)
A housekeeper is an individual responsible for the cleaning and maintenance of the interior of a residence, including direction of subordinate maids...
for Rossetti.
In Rossetti's paintings, Fanny Cornforth appears as a fleshy redhead, in contrast to his more ethereal treatments of his other models, Jane Morris
Jane Burden
Jane Morris was an English artists' model who embodied the Pre-Raphaelite ideal of beauty. She was a model and muse to the artists William Morris, whom she married, and Dante Gabriel Rossetti.-Life:...
and Elizabeth Siddal
Elizabeth Siddal
Elizabeth Eleanor Siddal was an English artists' model, poet and artist who was painted and drawn extensively by artists of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, including Walter Deverell, William Holman Hunt, John Everett Millais and most of Dante Gabriel Rossetti's early paintings of women.-Early...
.
Biography
It is widely believed that her real name was Sarah Cox, but this is not known for certain, nor when she became known as "Fanny Cornforth". However, "Cornforth" appears to have been the name of her first husband's stepfather, adopted as the latter's surname.Cornforth met Rossetti in 1858, and became his model and mistress in the absence of Elizabeth Siddal
Elizabeth Siddal
Elizabeth Eleanor Siddal was an English artists' model, poet and artist who was painted and drawn extensively by artists of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, including Walter Deverell, William Holman Hunt, John Everett Millais and most of Dante Gabriel Rossetti's early paintings of women.-Early...
. Rossetti married Siddal when she returned in 1860, under the impression that she was dying. Many biographers presume that Siddal disliked Cornforth, but there is no actual proof that Siddal even knew of her existence. In response, less than three months later Cornforth married mechanic Timothy Hughes, but the relationship was short-lived. After Siddal's death in 1862, Cornforth moved in with the newly-widowed Rossetti as his housekeeper. The affair between Rossetti and Cornforth would last until Rossetti's own death. For much of this time Rossetti was engaged in an off-and-on relationship with Jane Morris, but because she was married to his colleague, William Morris
William Morris
William Morris 24 March 18343 October 1896 was an English textile designer, artist, writer, and socialist associated with the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood and the English Arts and Crafts Movement...
, the relationship was not made public.
His relationship with Cornforth, however, was. Cornforth came from the lower/rural working class of English society. Her coarse accent and presumed lack of education often shocked Rossetti's friends and family. Many of them never fully accepted her and at times they pressured Rossetti to end the affair.
Over the course of their relationship, Cornforth gained weight. Much has been made of this by biographers, but the growing girths of both Rossetti and Cornforth was a mutual joke between them. His pet name for her was "My Dear Elephant" and she called him "Rhino". When they were apart, he drew cartoons of elephants for her and sent them to her.
It is not known when or where Fanny died. Apparently suffering from senile dementia, in 1905 she was taken into care by her sister-in-law.
Paintings of Fanny Cornforth
She sat for at least 60 oils, watercolours, pastels or pencil drawings by Rossetti. The paintings include:- Bocca BaciataBocca BaciataBocca Baciata is a painting by Dante Gabriel Rossetti which represents a turning point in his career. It was the first of his pictures of single female figures, and established the style that was later to become a signature of his work...
, by Rossetti (1859) - Lucrezia Borgia, by Rossetti (1861)
- Fair Rosamund (1861)
- Fazio's Mistress (Aurelia) (1863-73)
- The Blue Bower (1865)
- Lady Lilith (1867)
- Found (1869) unfinished
- The Holy Grail (1874)
The many drawings of her by Rossetti include:
- Fanny Cornforth, graphite on paper (1859)
Those by other artists:
- Sidonia von Bork, by Edward Burne-JonesEdward Burne-JonesSir Edward Coley Burne-Jones, 1st Baronet was a British artist and designer closely associated with the later phase of the Pre-Raphaelite movement, who worked closely with William Morris on a wide range of decorative arts as a founding partner in Morris, Marshall, Faulkner, and Company...
The Rossetti Archive has images of a large proportion of these.
External links
- Center for Whistler Studies
- Rossetti Archive
- Birmingham Museums & Art Gallery's Pre-Raphaelite Online Resource includes images of Fanny Cornforth