The sweet and touching tale of Fleur and Blanchefleur 1922

Eleanor Fortescue-Brickdale’s “The sweet and touching tale of Fleur and Blanchefleur” presents us with flat planes of color that are both precise and whimsical. I imagine Brickdale hunched over her work, carefully layering watercolors, her breath held as she edged each shape with a delicate outline. It’s a scene of controlled chaos, with Brickdale orchestrating a world of fairy-tale characters. Just look at that central figure, presumably the Sultan; his arms outstretched as if conducting a strange symphony. Is he blessing the two hearts joined in love at his feet, or cursing them? There’s a naivety here that is both affecting and knowing. It reminds me of the work of outsider artists, who create their own visual languages, their own internal worlds, without any self-consciousness. It’s a beautiful thing, a reminder that painting is not just about technique, but about feeling, about storytelling, about the human need to create. We're all in conversation with each other, trying to make sense of the world one brushstroke at a time.