The Lady of Shalott stained glass window 1890 - 1915

Matthys Maris made this stained glass window, "The Lady of Shalott," with a sort of dreamy looseness, like he was half-remembering a story rather than illustrating it. Look at how the light struggles to get through the glass, creating soft focus, and an otherworldly glow. It's all about texture here. The way Maris uses the paint on the glass, it feels almost like he's sculpting with light. The colors are muted, like watercolors that have been left in the sun too long, which somehow adds to the sense of faded, romantic tragedy. My eye keeps getting drawn to the figure on the left, clutching at her loom, the lines of the broken threads echoing the cracks in her face. This reminds me of late Turner, where the subject dissolves into pure light and color, a similar effect in the service of communicating big feelings. It’s as if both artists are saying, "Here’s a feeling, good luck pinning it down."