Elizabeth Prayed to God to Clothe Her 1910

Eleanor Fortescue-Brickdale made "Elizabeth Prayed to God to Clothe Her" with watercolor and ink and it’s all about process. The soft hatching of the ink creates these layered effects that are just lovely, like veils of tone. The materiality here is so delicate. I love how the watery layers of color bleed into each other, creating a gentle, dreamlike atmosphere. Look at the way Fortescue-Brickdale uses the red in the angel’s wings, almost like a bold stain against the more muted tones of Elizabeth’s face and white dress. It feels both intentional and spontaneous, which is a difficult thing to get right. This piece really reminds me of the Pre-Raphaelites, who were all about narrative and symbolism. Fortescue-Brickdale definitely shares that love for storytelling, but she also brings her own sensitivity to the materials. In the end, we are left with an open-ended conversation, an invitation to engage with the artwork on our own terms.