In this artwork, how is the Background discussed?
During 1878 Rossetti completed a chalk sketch of Morris, his secret lover, whom he had met at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, in 1857. She was the model for several of his well-known paintings, including Proserpine. The drawing was displayed above the mantlepiece in Rossetti's studio. Initially the painting was to be called Monna Primavera, or Vanna Primavera, possibly inspired by La Vita Nuova, a narrative that captivated Rossetti and was the basis for earlier of his works of art. Rossetti was also a poet and penned sonnets to accompany several of his paintings; the last composition in his series entitled Sonnets for Pictures is associated with this painting. The sonnet reads:Rossetti was not initially fully satisfied with the painting and he made several revisions to it. He wrote to Morris apologising for copying the feet of another woman into the picture. An earlier painting of Morris, entitled The Salutation of Beatrice, had similarly used a different model's hands in the final version.
La Vita Nuova Proserpine Theatre Royal, Drury Lane