author
William Michael Rossetti
1829–1919
A key behind-the-scenes voice of the Pre-Raphaelite movement, he helped shape its story as a writer, editor, and critic. He is also remembered for preserving and promoting the work of his gifted literary family, including Christina and Dante Gabriel Rossetti.
2 Audiobooks
Life of John Keats
by William Michael Rossetti
Notes on the Royal Academy Exhibition, 1868
by William Michael Rossetti, Algernon Charles Swinburne
About the author
Born in London in 1829, William Michael Rossetti became an English writer, art critic, and literary editor closely linked with the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. He served as the group's secretary and edited The Germ, its short-lived journal, giving him a lasting place in the movement's history.
Although his brother Dante Gabriel Rossetti and his sister Christina Rossetti became the more famous creative figures, William Michael played an important supporting role in bringing their work to readers and helping to preserve their legacy. He also built a career of his own as a critic and man of letters, and later contributed to the 1911 edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica.
He died in 1919, leaving behind a rich record of Victorian literary and artistic life. For readers interested in the Rossetti circle, he offers a valuable view from inside one of the most fascinating creative families of the nineteenth century.