This collection investigates the personal and professional correspondence of Dante Gabriel Rossetti to illuminate the artistic and social climate of the late Victorian era. The editors, J. R. Wahl and O. Doughty, provide a scholarly framework that contextualizes Rossetti’s letters within his broader career as a poet and painter. By organizing these documents chronologically, the editors offer a primary source record of the artist's interactions with his contemporaries and his evolving creative philosophy. This volume serves as a critical resource for understanding the private motivations behind his public artistic output.

Scholars and historians frequently cite this collection as a foundational reference for studying the later years of the Pre-Raphaelite movement. The text is noted for its high level of academic rigor and the meticulous nature of the editorial apparatus provided by Wahl and Doughty.