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TheUn-CorsetedBody
21
MaryforwomanhoodandthetaskwhichGabrielwillaskofher.Rossetti’s
ownwordsexplainwhathehopedthepaintingwouldcommunicatetothe
viewer:“Thatpictureofminewasasymboloffemaleexcellence,theVirgin
beingtakenasitshighesttype.ItwasnotherChildhoodbutGirlhood.”22
HereRossettipicturesthemonumentalcharacterandgreatstrengthofthe
VirginMaryreducedtothedomesticactivityofsewingastheglorification
ofthefemininerole,whilethemaninthepaintingisplacedoutdoorsworking.
Intheseries,simplicity,modestyandthefreeuncorsetedwaistmarkMary’s
dresses.Inthe“Annunciation”scene,Maryisdressedinawhite,looselydraped
andsleevelessdressexpressiveoftheyouth,energyandpassionofherbody.
Yetthepainterconfinesherwomanhoodwithinthehometoresponddutifully
towhatthesuperior(male)figuresaskofher,andhersexualityisrelatedonlyto
hercapacitytobearchildren.Alltheseelementsareinlinewiththeprevalent
regressiveVictoriannotionsofgender,andPre-Raphaelitedress,byliberatingand
enhancingthepowerofthewoman’sbody,helpstofulfiltheultimatefeminine
role,unlikethefashionablecorseteddressthatcripplesthewoman’swomb.
Inturn,Millais’spaintingof“Mariana”(1851)usesaheroinefrom
Shakespeare’sMeasureforMeasure.Inthecourseoftheplay,Mariana’sfiancé
Angeloabandonsherafterthelossofherdowryinashipwreckandordersthat
shemustliveisolatedfromhimforfiveyears.Thetimeawayfromhimdoes
notreduceMariana’sloveforAngelo,andshelongstobereunitedwithhim.
AsinRossetti’sseries,heretooMillaisusesMariana’sconfinementtocomment
upontheplaceandroleofthewoman.
Inthepainting,Marianaiswearingadressmadeofvelvetinadeepblue
tone.Thedresshasahighnecklineandissimpleindesign:itisuncorseted,
flowingandclingingcloselytothebody.Thelow-slungbeltcoveredinjewels,
evocativeofmedievalstyle,emphasizeshercurvingbody.Mariana’spose-
herbackarchedinamomentofstretchingandthefabricpulledtightlyacrossher
body-isemphasizingtheshapeofherwomanlybodyasshepausesfrom
herwork.Thelackofcorsetanddenialofdecoruminthedressenhances
Mariana’sfranknesswithherbodyandmakesherposeanaturalisticexpression
ofsexuality.
OnemightsaythatMillais,bymeansofthedressandthesexually-charged
poseitmakespossible,departsfromtheVictorianconventionofawomanof
child-likeinnocence.Andyet,Millaisliberatesthefemalebodyandsexuality
attheexpenseofsocialconfinement.MarianaiscodifiedbytheVictorian
notionofthemedievalwomanembroideringandshutinachamberfilledwith
22
DanteGabrielRossettiquotedinDavidRiede,“ThePre-RaphaeliteSchool,”[in]
ACompaniontoVictorianPoetry.Eds.RichardCronin,AntonyHarrison,andAlison
Chapman.NewYork2007,p.308.
