ROPE, ELLEN M. This English sculptor executed four large panels for the Women’s Building at the Chicago Exhibition.  They represented Faith, Hope, Charity, and Heavenly Wisdom.  They are now in the Ladies’ Dwelling, Cherries Street, London.  A “Memorial” by her is in Salisbury Cathedral.  Her reliefs of children are, however, her best works; that of a “Boy on a Dolphin” is most attractive.  “Christ Blessing Little Children” is charmingly rendered.

At the Academy, 1903, she exhibited a panel for an organ chamber, in low relief.

ROSA, ANIELLA DI. 1613-1649.  A pupil in Naples of Stanzioni, who, by reason of her violent death, has been called the Neapolitan Sirani.  She acquired a good reputation as a historical painter and doubtless had unusual talent, but as she worked in conjunction with Stanzioni and with her husband, Agostino Beltrano, it is difficult to speak of works entirely her own.

Two pictures that were acknowledged to be hers represented the birth and death of the Virgin; these were praised and were at one time in a church in Naples, but in a recent search for them I was unable to satisfy myself that the pictures I saw were genuine.

Another pupil in the studio of Stanzioni was the Beltrano whom Aniella married.  He painted in fresco, Aniella in oils, and they were frequently employed together.  The fine picture of San Biagio, in the church of Santa Maria della Sanita, was one of their joint works.

Their early married life was very happy, but Aniella was beautiful and Beltrano grew jealous; it is said without cause, through the influence of a woman who loved him and hated Aniella; and in spite of the efforts she made to merit her husband’s confidence, his distrust of her increased.  Her base rival, by her art and falsehood, finally succeeded in convincing Beltrano that Aniella was unworthy, and in his rage he fatally stabbed her, when, at thirty-six, she was in the prime of her beauty and talent.  She survived long enough to convince her husband of her innocence and to pardon him for his crime, but he fled from Italy and lived the life of an outcast during ten years.  He then returned to Naples, where after seven years, tormented by remorse, death came to his release.

Domenici generously praised the works of Aniella, and quoted her master, Stanzioni, as saying that she was the equal of the best painters of her time.

ROSALBA. See Carriera.

ROSSI, PROPERZIA DE. Born in Bologna. 1490-1530.  This artist was the first woman to succeed as a sculptor whose works can still be seen.  Pupil of Raimondi, she was more or less influenced by Tribolo.  In the Church of San Petronio, in her native city, in the eleventh chapel, is a beautiful bas-relief of two angels, executed by Properzia.  They are near Tribolo’s “Ascension.”  A relief and a portrait bust in the same church are also ascribed to her.