In a Narcissist's Studio Anonymous College

Christina Rossetti’s “In an Artist’s Studio” describes the relationship between a male artist and his female muse. The poem takes the form of a Petrarchan sonnet, traditionally used by men to write about a glorified female love interest. In the sonnet, Rossetti depicts the artist’s portrayal of his muse as artificial and shallow. She characterizes the male artist as an insensitive and narcissistic figure who objectifies and consumes his female muse without any regard for her own condition. Rossetti uses this form of sonnet ironically to make a statement about its traditional role of diminishing women the way the artist is doing in the sonnet.

The artist’s paintings of the muse indicate his objectification of her, in which she is painted as what he wishes her to be. He portrays her as “a queen in opal or in ruby dress / a nameless girl in freshest summer greens / a saint, an angel” (“In an Artist’s Studio” 5-7). Rossetti’s word choice emphasizes the objectification of the muse, especially through the use of the word nameless. Not only is she painted in roles that are not true to her, but the artist also deprives her of a name. Her name is a representation of her identity. By neglecting to acknowledge her name, the artist strips...