Portrait of Ford Madox Brown

Dante Gabriel Rossetti drew this portrait of Ford Madox Brown on January 31, 1867, documenting their long artistic friendship. Brown was a mentor to Rossetti and closely associated with the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, though he was never officially a member. He was older than the founders and had already developed his own distinctive style.

Brown first met Rossetti in 1848 when the young artist wrote asking to become his pupil. Though Brown initially thought it a practical joke, they became lifelong friends. Brown's paintings "Work" and "The Last of England" rank among the most important British pictures of the Victorian era.

The drawing is held at the National Portrait Gallery in London. Rossetti's quick, confident draftsmanship captures Brown's mature features with the same intensity he brought to his famous portraits of women.