Polydori, Francis

Portrait of Christina Rossetti and Francis Polidori Rossetti, painted by Dante Gabriel Rossetti

Frances Mary Lavinia Polidori , later Rossetti , in particular, her two sons were co-founders of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood , and her daughter became a famous poet.

" Youth of the Virgin Mary "

Francis' father was the Italian exile Gaetano Polydori ^[3] and his brother, John Polidori ^[4] , author of The Vampire and Lord Byron’s physician. She herself was a staunch Anglican ^[5] , but married a Catholic and Italian immigrant Gabriel Rossetti . After his death, she immediately burned all the remaining copies of his book "Il Mistero dell 'Amor Platonico del Medio Evo".

Her eldest daughter, Maria, wrote a book about Dante Alighieri and later became an Anglican nun.

Her two sons, Gabriel Charles Dante (later known as Dante Gabriel Rossetti ) and William Michael were co-founders of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood . William Michael edited the diary of his uncle John Polidori. Francis posed for Gabriel for his early paintings, for example, for The Youth of the Virgin Mary , where she served as the basis for the image of St. Anne .

Her youngest daughter, Christina Georgina, has become famous as a poet and is best known for her poem, The Goblin Bazaar.

Frances died in 1886 and was buried in a family plot in Highgate Cemetery .