Daydreamer 

Julie Bell created this drawing, Daydreamer, with watercolor and ink. It presents a wolf’s head resting on a bed of stylized, colorful flowers. This imagery engages with themes of the natural world, as well as the relationship between animals and our perception of beauty. Bell is an American artist, who works primarily in the fantasy genre. While the wolf has often been seen as a symbol of wildness, the artist paints the animal as gentle and at ease. One could read this through the lens of conservationism, which emerged as a powerful movement during Bell’s lifetime, promoting an appreciation for nature and wildlife and a concern for ecological balance. The flowers function as a symbol of natural beauty, but they also represent the aesthetic principles through which we understand the environment. In turn, the role of the art historian lies in tracing these cultural codes and environmental values, to understand how they shaped the artwork itself. We might consult various sources, from conservation reports and news articles to find out about the artist's own statements on the subject, if available.