"Arbor in the meadow" - a picture of the English artist -Pre-Raphaelite Dante Gabriel Rossetti , created in the period from 1866 to 1872 ; currently the work is in the collection of the Manchester Art Gallery .
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| Dante Gabriel Rossetti | ||
| Gazebo in the meadow . 1850-1872 | ||
| The bower meadow | ||
| canvas, oil. 85 × 67 cm | ||
| Manchester Art Gallery , Manchester | ||
| ( inv. ) | ||
The artist began to paint the background of the painting back in 1850 in Kent by the company of William Holman Hunt . Initially, it was planned that Dante and Beatrice would become the central figures in heaven, but for about 20 years the artist did not return to the picture, and she remained without the main characters [1] . He returned to work in 1871.
In the foreground of the painting are two women playing musical instruments, written 20 years after the start of work on the painting. During this time, the original idea changed, and inspired by his romance with Jane Morris Rossetti, he wanted to portray lighter and more melancholy images [2] . Models were Maria Spartali Stillman (left) and Alexa Wilding (right) [3] [2] . Women are dressed in long dresses and are a type of beauty often portrayed by the Pre-Raphaelites . In the background are dancing figures whose dresses symmetrically reflect the colors of the clothes and hair of the figures in the foreground, as well as a woman carrying a fruit basket in the distance [1] [2] . Critics note the presence of features of surrealism , in particular, in the image of a strange tall building in the upper right corner of the picture [1] .
Rossetti often portrayed women playing musical instruments. This type of portrait was very popular and attracted the interest of buyers. In 1872, the author repeated this story in a pastel drawing, but an angel with an arrow was placed between the women [4] . In another figure, an angel holds a bird in his hands, which can symbolize earthly and heavenly music, as well as the fusion of human and divine [5] .
Notes
- ↑ 1 2 3 The Bower Meadow - Rossettiarchive.org . Date of treatment May 9, 2016.
- ↑ 1 2 3 The Bower Meadow . Manchester Art Gallery. Date of treatment May 9, 2016.
- ↑ Kern, Stephen. Eyes of love: the gaze in English and French paintings and novels, 1840-1900. - London: Reaktion Books, 1996. - P. 274. - ISBN 978-0-948462-83-2 . Googlebooks book
- ↑ The Bower Meadow - Rossettiarchive.org . Date of treatment May 9, 2016.
- ↑ Art-prints-on-demand.com . Date of treatment May 9, 2016.