Lamia and the Soldier 1905

John William Waterhouse made ‘Lamia and the Soldier’ without a known date using oil paint. It looks like Waterhouse built up this painting using thin layers of oil, which gives it a soft, almost dreamy quality. The colours are muted, earthy, with touches of red and the glint of metallic paint on the soldier's armour. You can see how the process of painting is kind of concealed, aiming for an idealised finish. The way Lamia is gazing up at the soldier has this incredible pull. I think it is interesting how the artist has paid close attention to the interplay of light and shadow, you know, like in the folds of Lamia's dress and the way it catches the highlights on the soldier's armor. It's all very deliberate, but it’s a bit of a trick to make it look effortless, like this encounter happened spontaneously. Waterhouse’s piece kind of reminds me of the Pre-Raphaelites, with all their focus on romantic subjects and detailed execution. It’s like art is having this ongoing conversation across time, where artists riff on each other’s ideas.