A masterwork of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, Rossetti's Proserpine fuses mythological symbolism with an intense, personal melancholy. The Roman goddess of the underworld is portrayed in contemplative stillness, clutching a pomegranate—emblem of her fateful bond to Hades. Her auburn curls and draped green robe evoke classical antiquity, while her luminous gaze draws the viewer into a world of longing and eternal duality. Ivy and incense underscore the theme of spiritual entrapment and seasonal resurrection. Rossetti’s romantic realism and rich iconography elevate this image to a meditation on beauty, loss, and sacred cycles.