this passage makes apparent rossetti’s desire not to just support the poet’s narrative, but to create an allegorical illustration that functions separately from the text as well. in this respect, pre-raphaelite illustrations go beyond depicting an episode from a poem, but rather function like subject paintings within a text. illustration is not subservient to text and vice versa. careful and conscientious craftsmanship is practiced in every aspect of production, and each element, though qualifiedly artistic in its own right, contributes to a unified art object (the book).