Clarify Marillier's "Record of DGR"

WMR engages Marillier's account of Dante Rossetti.

Rossetti, William M. "Mr. Marillier's Record of Dante Rossetti." Magazine of Art (January 1900): 217. Web. 21 Sept. 2011.

Rossetti proposes that he as the brother of Dante Gabriel Rossetti should remain "quiet" on the subject of his brother's art-but we as readers, he states, are fortunate to have a highly intelligent and informed outsider such as Mr. Marillier to provide commentary on the subject.

But on personal matters, Rossetti contributes details that clarify and sometimes dispute Marillier's account of events and situations that were the history of Dante Gabriel Rossetti.

Corrections include minor points like dates of incidents and art pieces, but also to more significant details like ownership of certain works and sales representation for Dante Gabriel Rossetti. Rossetti "adds notes" that are intended to clarify what Marillier has written. He corrects dates that Marillier has incorrect, such as those associated with DGR's residences and also his representation by agents.

For example, Rossetti firmly denies Marillier's statement that Dante Rossetti made replicas of his own paintings or worse, had them painted by his assistant, for the purpose of raising money. He also denies that Dante Rossetti was ever destitute enough to do such a "connivance," although Rossetti allows that there may have been "moments when all the coin had run through his fingers."

But overall, Rossetti is enthusiastic about the commentary, the art pieces reproduced in the book, and recommends the volume as a fitting tribute to his brother. Nonetheless, it is difficult to overlook the number of inaccuracies William Rossetti must correct, thereby casting doubt on Marillier's role as an accurate biographer.

polemical, historical

analysis, comparison, clarification; "a noticeably good book." "retouching was deplorable", "connivance", "his false friend chloral"

accuracy, truth, realism, validity

Tennyson, Mr. John Aldam Heaton, Mr. Charles A. Howell, Kelmscott, Oxfordshire, "Ghirlandata", "Proserpine", Fleurs de Marie", "Roma Window", Mr. H. Treffley, Whistler, Alphonse Legros, Frederick Sandys, George Hake, Dr. Hake, Mr. Knight, Mr. Swinburne, Miss Siddal

rebuttal, definitive

partly critical, partly educational; deliberate

"What I aim here to do is simply to make a few comments on points of detail, rectifying something here, elucidating something there;" "I consider it a noticeably good book;" ". . . correcting some errors made by previous writers, myself included . . ."