With every thing that pretty bin, My lady sweet, arise 1920

Eleanor Fortescue-Brickdale made this painting, titled "With every thing that pretty bin, My lady sweet, arise," sometime between 1872 and 1945, probably using watercolor. I can imagine her, in her studio, gently coaxing the paint across the paper, building up layer upon layer to conjure this scene. See how she has brought the outside in? The garden and figure seem to blend into one another. The lush foliage, alive with color, frames the little cherubic figure. He stands precariously on a branch. He is perhaps a symbol of love and beauty, bringing roses to the sleepy inhabitants. The colors are muted and soft like a faded tapestry. The light dapples the scene, creating a sense of warmth and intimacy. I love how the paint is both translucent and opaque. Fortescue-Brickdale coaxes out textures within the paint through subtle variations in tone and brushwork. These choices give the painting a dreamlike quality, like a half-remembered memory or a whispered secret. It feels like the artist is inviting us to enter a world of beauty and enchantment. It’s really magical!