Why it matters
Lilith, Adam's first wife in Jewish legend, combs her long hair and gazes at herself in a mirror, a powerful temptress. Rossetti first painted Fanny Cornforth, then replaced her face with Alexa Wilding's.
Did you know?
- It was painted in 1866–1868 and altered in 1872–1873.
- It forms a pair with Sibylla Palmifera: the body's beauty versus the soul's beauty.
- A sonnet by Rossetti is inscribed on the frame.
Based on the Wikipedia article Lady Lilith (CC BY-SA 4.0).
