Rossetti — Dante Gabriel Rossetti was one of the most enigmatic of all English painters. Born into a brilliant family of Italian exiles, he announced his ambitions at the age of 20. As the key member of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, Rossetti sought nothing less than a return to the artistic spirit of medieval times, the age before Raphael. Though the Brotherhood failed to last, a romantic medieval flavor continued to infuse Rossetti's work, including his innovative watercolors and his bold experiments with design. He was also a substantial poet, but it is for his paintings that he is best remembered, and his images of beautiful women are among the most compelling ever created. Rossetti's often complex female relationships also played a large role in his personal life. Sadly, the strains that often resulted contributed to the artist's eventual decline. Blighted by illness, alcohol, and drugs, Rossetti died at the age of 53.