I’m not sure why I’m so drawn to paintings with mirrors in them, but I seem to seek them out. Specifically, mirrors on walls — not mirrors as a symbol of vanity. When I see a mirror in the background, I feel as if the artist has offered me a different perspective, allowing me to peer into a small, secret…
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Preparing for the Ball
I have a weakness for paintings with mirrors in them. Preparing for the Ball by Emma Sandys is a perfect example. According to Pre-Raphaelite Women Artists by Jan Marsh and Pamela Gerrish Nunn, this painting has been known by more than one title: Preparing for the Ball, Before the Mirror and The Lady of Shalott. Does she look as if…
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The Mirror!
In this previous post, I mentioned a mirror seen in Fair Rosamund and Queen Eleanor by Burne-Jones and also in The Return of Tibullus to Delia by Dante Gabriel Rossetti. This seemingly mundane object has captured my attention, mainly because I have this nagging feeling that I’ve also seen it elsewhere, but can’t remember where. I was so excited this…
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In which we discuss multi-faceted mirrors
Tonight I was browsing through images and happened upon The Return of Tibullus to Delia by Dante Gabriel Rossetti. This painting interests for many reasons, mainly because it marks the early period of Rossetti’s relationship with Elizabeth Siddal. It has been written that when Rossetti was sketching his study for Delia, that he fell in love with Lizzie as she…
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The mirror crack’d from side to side
The curse has come upon the Lady of Shalott… and”The mirror crack’d from side to side” The photo above is from the final day of filming of The Lady of Shalott film project. A previous post about this project can be read here and more photos can also be seen at The Beautiful Necessity here and here. An excerpt from…