1875. Oil on canvas. Delaware Art Museum, Wilmington, DE, USA. Read Note.
La Bella Mano, The Beautiful Hand,
In royal wise ring-girt and bracelet-spann’d
A flower of Venus’ own virginity,
Go shine among thy sisterly sweet band;
In maiden-minded converse delicately
Evermore white and soft; until thou be,
O hand! heart-handsel’d in a lover’s hand.
(From ‘La Bella Mano’, Dante Gabriel Rossetti)