May 12, 1828

Dante Gabriel Rossetti (May 12, 1828 to April 9, 1882) is known as a major founder of the painting school known as the Pre-Raphaelites, so-called because of their fondness for what they considered medieval themes, a world only recently defined in the mid 19th century. "Lady Lilith" is a painting Rossetti did showing a self-absorbed woman with flowing hair sitting and gazing at a mirror. He worked on this painting for years, and it is dated 1867, though he continued to change the canvas. One change Rossetti considered was adding a kitten to the scene. To this end he asked his brother, William Michael Rossetti, himself an art critic, for photos of sleeping cats. He never added a cat.