A Paradox 1905

Frances Macdonald made "A Paradox" with watercolor and pencil, imagining a story in muted purples, whites, and reds. I wonder, what paradox was she thinking about? It feels like a dream, doesn't it? The pale figures seem to float within this heart-shaped space, surrounded by roses and rose petals. Look at the little figures at the bottom, are they floating up or falling down? Macdonald's painting reminds me of the Pre-Raphaelites and Symbolists, those artists who were also interested in myths, dreams, and the mysteries of the human condition. You can sense the influence of artists like Burne-Jones in the ethereal quality of the figures and the decorative, stylized forms. I find myself pondering the symbolism of the roses, scattered across the surface. Are they symbols of love, beauty, or perhaps the fleeting nature of life? Macdonald leaves it up to us to decide. And, isn't that the beauty of painting? It's a conversation across time, with Macdonald, with ourselves, with each other.