In an Artist’s
1
Studio
Message:
There are two implicit messages within this
poem: the loss of female identity in a male-
dominated art world, and the reclaiming of
a woman's identity. These two messages are
clearly divided in the structure of the sonnet.
Summary
'In an Artist's Studio' is about the male artist's
tendency to objectify his female sitters or 'models'
for his paintings and sculptures; indeed, in one
interpretation, the woman is merely a passive
object on which the artist projects his fantasies and
'dreams'.
"In an Artist's Studio" is a Petrarchan sonnet
@Juffrou_Ansie
, 2
It is important to distinguish, in the last lines of the poem, the way
that the artists perceive her, from the way she actually is. The
speaker makes this separation clear as she states that the way
that the artist portrayed her is not the way that she is now. She is
no longer filled with “hope” that shines “bright.” She is not
painted “as she is, but as she fills his dreams.” The artist is longing
for a time when things were the way they used to be, not as they
are now, and the paintings are a reminder of that time
Structure: ‘In an Artist’s Studio’ by Christina
Rossetti is a standard Italian or Petrarchan
sonnet that is made up of fourteen lines and
can be separated into one set of eight lines
also known as an octave, and one set of six
lines also known as a sestet. The first
collection of lines provides the reader with
the basis of the story or problem, and the
next six lines provide a conclusion or an
answer to the above.
@Juffrou_Ansie
1
Studio
Message:
There are two implicit messages within this
poem: the loss of female identity in a male-
dominated art world, and the reclaiming of
a woman's identity. These two messages are
clearly divided in the structure of the sonnet.
Summary
'In an Artist's Studio' is about the male artist's
tendency to objectify his female sitters or 'models'
for his paintings and sculptures; indeed, in one
interpretation, the woman is merely a passive
object on which the artist projects his fantasies and
'dreams'.
"In an Artist's Studio" is a Petrarchan sonnet
@Juffrou_Ansie
, 2
It is important to distinguish, in the last lines of the poem, the way
that the artists perceive her, from the way she actually is. The
speaker makes this separation clear as she states that the way
that the artist portrayed her is not the way that she is now. She is
no longer filled with “hope” that shines “bright.” She is not
painted “as she is, but as she fills his dreams.” The artist is longing
for a time when things were the way they used to be, not as they
are now, and the paintings are a reminder of that time
Structure: ‘In an Artist’s Studio’ by Christina
Rossetti is a standard Italian or Petrarchan
sonnet that is made up of fourteen lines and
can be separated into one set of eight lines
also known as an octave, and one set of six
lines also known as a sestet. The first
collection of lines provides the reader with
the basis of the story or problem, and the
next six lines provide a conclusion or an
answer to the above.
@Juffrou_Ansie
