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Goblin Market

Painted and cut by Margaret Agnes Rope British
Designer Based on designs by Laurence Housman British
1905
Not on view
The central roundel of this small panel depicts a scene from the disturbing and evocative narrative poem "Goblin Market" by Christina Rossetti (composed in 1859 and first published in 1862). Although the composition is essentially Rope’s own invention, she was clearly looking very closely at the illustrations by Laurence Housman to the 1893 edition of the poem, published by Macmillan, a copy of which is in the Museum's collection (42.72bis). Unlike the more famous illustrations by Dante Gabriel Rossetti (which concentrated on main protagonists Lizzie and Laura’s love), Housman developed the curious scene they witnessed of "wicked, quaint fruit merchant men", envisioning goblin figure types, swathed in voluminous mantles, with disconcertingly veracious rodent, feline and avian features peering out beneath wide-brimmed, shallow hats.

Rope originally intended this panel to be one of a series; another piece, representing the goblins’ failed efforts to tempt steadfast Lizzie with their fruits, remained in Rope’s family’s collection. In 1905, she was awarded a silver medal in the National Competition for her Goblin Market designs.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Goblin Market
  • Artist: Painted and cut by Margaret Agnes Rope (British, 1882–1953)
  • Designer: Based on designs by Laurence Housman (British, Bromsgrove, Worcestershire 1865–1959 Glastonbury, Somerset)
  • Date: 1905
  • Culture: British
  • Medium: Painted, stained and leaded glass
  • Dimensions: Overall (confirmed, irregular): 16 1/4 × 16 1/4 in. (41.3 × 41.3 cm)
  • Classification: Glass-Stained
  • Credit Line: Purchase, Gift of J. Pierpont Morgan, by exchange and funds from various donors, 2014
  • Object Number: 2014.511
  • Curatorial Department: European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

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