Details of the death of Dante Gabriel Rossetti 's muse finally surfaced . Biographer Kirsty Stonell Walker examined her corpse using medical records . They revealed she was penniless , suffering from tuberculosis in an asylum . She was the inspiration and model for some of Rossetti 's best - known portraits .
Details of the death of Dante Gabriel Rossetti 's muse finally unmasked . Biographer Kirsty Stonell Walker located her grave using medical records . They revealed she died penniless , suffering from dementia in an asylum . She was the muse and model for some of Rossetti 's best-known works .