British-born artist and poet of Italian descent, Dante Gabriel
Rossetti was one of the central figures of the Pre-Raphaelites. Together with
Holman Hunt and Millais, he started the original Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood
and was the 'poetic inspiration' of the movement. Rossetti's paintings are
distinguished by his eye for beauty, choice of subjects and intensity of vision.
He painted many pictures on the theme of Dante and Beatrice, and chose other
subjects from Italian history and Arthurian tales. His works are held by many
leading galleries including the Tate, the Victorian & Albert Museum and
galleries in Liverpool, Manchester, Delaware and Tokyo.
In
the past, society's fear of 'madness' had a terrible effect on people experiencing
mental illness. Cruel treatment, isolation, bullying, wrongful imprisonment
and death have been just some of the results of this intolerant attitude. Women
were also sent to asylums - often for the rest of their lives - for not conforming,
perhaps by having a child out of wedlock
Society is full of people with different experiences of life. By excluding
people simply because of who they are, we miss out on their potential contribution
to society and they miss out on enjoying society to the full.
There's
rosemary, that's for remembrance: genetics, genetics, genetics. Sometimes, it
is necessary to lose yourself in order to find yourself, with fantastic garlands
did she come, crow flowers, nettles, daisies, long purples cold maids do dead
men's fingers call them I embraced such intensity, my eyes bled immensity, And
you, you said : you couldn't cope And for the lacking of a convenient wolf pack
you threw me to the doctors she came to the willow that by the glassy stream
does grow I needed patience, kindness, tolerance, time, my eyes bled immensity,
And you, you said : you couldn't cope in the boughs of the willow she looked
for sanctuary, higher she climbed You threw me to the doctors for the sake of
my health I think the doctors needed me more than I needed the doctors And it
was official, common knowledge, I was : a deviant, a neurotic, an hysterical,
mad witch, completely bonkers higher and higher she climbed until she fell into
the weeping brook - mermaid - like, awhile she floated singing snatches of old
tunes - like a creature native to that element till - her heavy garments - pulled
the poor wretch - to her muddy death My eyes bled immensity, And you, you said
: you couldn't cope
)
