Enid 1913

Eleanor Fortescue-Brickdale painted ‘Enid’ with watercolors, and I just want to wrap myself up in that green cloak! It's like she built up layers of translucent washes, one on top of the other, to get this luminous effect. You know, I bet she was thinking about the Pre-Raphaelites, and the way they romanticized the medieval past. Look at how she's rendered the folds of the fabric, so precise and detailed, it's almost obsessive. I can imagine her, in her studio, carefully applying each stroke, trying to capture the essence of this mythical woman. The way she’s painted the face and hands feels so delicate, like she's trying to capture a fleeting moment of emotion. And those birds perched on the wall, they add a sense of whimsy and enchantment to the scene. It makes me think about the conversations artists have across time, and how they build on each other's ideas.