The princess offered the soldier a goblet of wine. 1921

Margaret Evans Price made this illustration called 'The princess offered the soldier a goblet of wine,' but when she made it, remains a mystery. I imagine Margaret, pencil in hand, conjuring this intimate scene of exchange and temptation. The princess, so poised with her offering, and the soldier framed in the window, their eyes locked in a moment of quiet intensity. There’s a certain graphic sensibility at play, a dance between line and flat color. It reminds me of Matisse, but with a storybook charm. Those delicate lines defining the figures and drapery, they feel so deliberate, almost like a stage set. And the colors, so muted and yet so expressive, especially the floral design on the princess's cape, which hints at her royal status. What is the intention, I wonder? I can feel Margaret breathing life into the image with each stroke, each carefully chosen hue, allowing us to glimpse a world of romance, mystery, and power.