Although this painting was completed in 1860 and relates to an event some decades earlier its familiar theme and humanity still resonate strongly today. The story relates to the engraving which hangs on the wall. It is a copy of a painting by Jacques-Louis David depicting Napoleon crossing the Alps which alludes to the fate of the young man.
In the myths of Ancient Greece Helen of Troy was considered the most beautiful woman in the world. She has since has been a source of inspiration for artists who frequently represent her as the personification of ideal beauty.
William Holman-Hunt was one of the founders of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood alongside fellow students at the Royal Academy art school. Holman-Hunt’s artistic career nearly ended before it began when his application to study at the Royal Academy art school was rejected.
Edward Burne-Jones was obsessed with the legends of King Arthur. As a young man he had stumbled upon an old edition of the tales in a shop and had visited the shop each day until he’d read every word.
At this time of year, as summer all too easily gives way to autumn, the view of our landscape changes in colour from greens to browns. This colour scheme has long provided a source of inspiration for artists and this month’s painting by Liverpool born artist William Huggins is no exception.
The young Henry Stacy Marks was a keen artist and showed such little aptitude for business that his father preferred him to go to art school than to join the family firm of solicitors. It turned out to be a prescient decision as the business failed and Marks had to support not only his wife but his mother and three younger brothers on the proceeds of his art.
This exhibition was first mooted by curator Christopher Newall nearly a decade ago. It seems incredible that it has taken this long for the Walker to celebrate the City of Liverpool’s longstanding association with one of the most significant British art movements. Particularly given the enduring popularity of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood and the wealth of its treasures held by the galleries of Merseyside.
Liverpool has always had a mischievous, rebellious side, one which has both attracted and nurtured creatives and the leftfield. Thus it was only natural that a small group of rebellious, hot-headed young men found a ready audience for their work in this city. (more…)
Visitors to the impressive Victorian Gallery at the Walker Gallery in Liverpool are often struck by this imposing canvas and the tragic tale of unrequited love it so romantically illustrates. Echo and Narcissus is an episode from the epic Roman poem Metamorphoses written by Ovid around 2000 years ago.
Narcissus, as the son of a god and a nymph, was a young man possessed of both grace and beauty. As a child his parents were told that he would have a long life if he did not look at himself. Throughout his youth he rejected all the nymphs and women who fell in love with him. One of these was the nymph Echo. A tragic figure once punished by a goddess for her constant chatter, Echo was confined to repeating the words of others. Hopelessly obsessed with Narcissus she tried to win his love using fragments of his own speech but he spurned her attentions. Echo was so upset by her rejection that she withdrew from life and wasted away until all that was left was a whisper. Her prayers were heard by the goddess Nemesis who cursed Narcissus to fall in love with his own reflection. Obsessed by his own image, he continued to look at his reflection, forgoing all food and water until his death. A narcissus flower grew on the riverside marking the spot where he died.
“It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold: when it is summer in the light, and winter in the shade” wrote Charles Dickens in Great Expectations, a notion which is beautifully encapsulated in this painting.
We are presented with a beautiful maiden, dressed elegantly in medieval costume, sitting inside a walled garden. Medievalism was a popular theme in Victorian art; depictions of chivalry and romance were a regular source of inspiration by writers and painters of the era. The luxurious fabric of the dress gives the artist the opportunity to demonstrate his skill and gives imbues the painting with a timeless, ageless quality. The young maiden’s blue dress is reminiscent of that often worn by the Virgin Mary in paintings; the white head dress further substantiates this idea. (more…)
February is the month we traditionally express our love to others and patiently wait hoping those feelings will be reciprocated.
The subject matter of this month’s painting is summed up eloquently by its poetic title, ‘Her eyes are with her heart, and that is far away.’ A beautiful maiden leans against a piece of ornately engraved marble. The girl is dressed in loose fitting white robes, which might normally suggest innocence. Yet they clutch her body in ways just enough to suggest that she might not be quite as innocent as we first imagine. She looks to the ground, unaware of or unconcerned by our presence. (more…)
Michael Escolme 