Why it matters
Rossetti's first painting of a single female figure, modelled by Fanny Cornforth, established the style that became his signature. The title means 'mouth that has been kissed', from an Italian proverb that it 'renews itself just as the moon does'.
Did you know?
- It was painted in 1859.
- The proverb is written on the back of the painting.
- It comes from a tale in Boccaccio's Decameron.
Based on the Wikipedia article Bocca Baciata (CC BY-SA 4.0).
