Guinevere 1913

Eleanor Fortescue-Brickdale made this dreamy watercolour of Guinevere sometime during her career. It's all about soft edges, the gentle play of light, and colors that whisper rather than shout. Look at the way Fortescue-Brickdale builds up her forms with these tiny, almost pointillist dabs of paint. It's like she’s knitting together the scene, thread by thread. The surface shimmers, alive with subtle variations. That incredible tapestry of white blossoms behind the figures, it’s almost too much, like a beautiful, overwhelming dream. And then there's the way she handles the fabrics, Guinevere's patterned dress is rendered with such care, each fold and detail lovingly described. It reminds me of how the Pre-Raphaelites would paint, with that same attention to detail and a touch of fantasy. It makes you think about all the conversations that artists have been having for centuries. Each brushstroke is a little echo of the past, a new twist on an old theme. Art, after all, is just one big, beautiful, never-ending conversation.