Study after "The Enchanted Monarch" 1886

Frederick Stuart Church made this pen and ink study for "The Enchanted Monarch" in 1886. The sketch depicts a sorceress holding a wand, with a lion gazing up at her. The painting captures a Victorian fascination with the exotic and the power of feminine allure. Church's choice of subject matter reflects the cultural currents of late 19th-century America. This was a period marked by rapid industrialization, urbanization, and evolving gender roles. Images of women as enchantresses or figures of mystery were popular. They offered a vision of female power that both challenged and reinforced social norms. Church's involvement in institutions like the Prize Exhibition suggests his ambition to engage with the art world of his time. To fully understand Church's painting, one might consult exhibition catalogs, period literature, and studies of Victorian-era social history. Art's meaning shifts with its social and institutional context.