Head by Golden Head, for "The Goblin Market"

Art Historical Context

This delicate pen-and-ink drawing by Dante Gabriel Rossetti illustrates a pivotal moment from his sister Christina Rossetti’s celebrated 1862 poem “The Goblin Market.” Titled after the line “Golden head by golden head,” the work depicts two sleeping sisters—likely Lizzie and Laura—whose intertwined forms evoke both vulnerability and quiet intimacy. Created in 1861 as a design for the book’s frontispiece, the small sheet captures the poem’s fairy-tale atmosphere while hinting at its darker themes of temptation and redemption. Rossetti, a founding member of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, employed fine graphite underdrawing refined with precise ink lines to achieve the luminous, detailed style associated with the movement. The intimate scale of the image—just under three inches high—encourages close viewing, mirroring the poem’s emphasis on sisterly closeness and moral awakening. The drawing’s gift to the Metropolitan Museum in 2020 preserves a rare collaborative glimpse into the Rossettis’ shared artistic world. Beyond its literary origins, the work reflects Victorian interests in medievalism, symbolism, and the moral power of art. Its tender portrayal of sleeping women continues to invite viewers to consider the poem’s complex messages about desire, sacrifice, and female solidarity.

About the Artist

Christina Georgina Rossetti|Dante Gabriel Rossetti (British|British) · 1830 |1828 –1894 |1882

British, London 1830–1894 London|British, London 1828–1882 Birchington-on-Sea