I was commissioned by Tate Britain to transform a sketched wallpaper design by Pre-Raphaelite artist Dante Gabriel Rossetti into a finished artwork for the exhibition The Rossettis.
When Rossetti married Elizabeth Siddal, he envisioned a wallpaper for their drawing room: a floor-to-ceiling design of trees forming a nocturnal orchard, with stars and apples scattered among the branches. Though he began the piece, it remained unfinished during his lifetime.
Working closely with curators Carol Jacobi and James Finch, I helped bring Rossetti’s vision to life—realising the starlit orchard in deep Venetian reds and midnight blues. It was a rare and rewarding experience to contribute to this historical dialogue, and an honour to help complete a work that Rossetti began over a century ago.
It was exhibited over a period of 6 months in 2023 and exhibited again in 2024 at Delaware Art Museum.
The original sketch by Rossetti displayed at the bottom of this page.
When Rossetti married Elizabeth Siddal, he envisioned a wallpaper for their drawing room: a floor-to-ceiling design of trees forming a nocturnal orchard, with stars and apples scattered among the branches. Though he began the piece, it remained unfinished during his lifetime.
Working closely with curators Carol Jacobi and James Finch, I helped bring Rossetti’s vision to life—realising the starlit orchard in deep Venetian reds and midnight blues. It was a rare and rewarding experience to contribute to this historical dialogue, and an honour to help complete a work that Rossetti began over a century ago.
It was exhibited over a period of 6 months in 2023 and exhibited again in 2024 at Delaware Art Museum.
The original sketch by Rossetti displayed at the bottom of this page.
CLIENT
Tate Britain
Tate Britain
© Ilyanna Kerr