Lady Lilith, c. 1866-68 (altered 1872-73)
Oil on canvas
97.8 × 85.1 cm (38.5 × 33.5 in)
Delaware Art Museum
Lilith, the subject of this painting, is described in Judaic literature as the first wife of Adam. She is associated with the seduction of men and the murder of children. The depiction of women as powerful and evil temptresses was prevalent in 19th-century painting, particularly among the Pre-Raphaelites. The artist depicts Lilith as an iconic, Amazon-like female with long, flowing hair. Her languid nature is reiterated in the inclusion of the poppy in the lower right corner — the flower of opium-induced slumber.
A large 1867 replica of Lady Lilith, painted by Rossetti in watercolor, which shows the face of Cornforth, is now owned by New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art (below). More on this painting
Zaidan Gallery 
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