Edmind Blair Leighton the artist of this piece was a victorian painter
sometimes considered to be a second generation Pre-Raphaelite. But it would be more
accurate to simply say that he was influenced by them and displayed
similarities of style and subject matter, much like his critic John William Waterhouse.
I love the emotion in this piece, I feel like there is a underlying romantic story
between the knight and the queen/princess. I love the gold detailing on her gown, the way it flows around her, you can tell there is a body underneath. The lightness of her hair and the way its shines brings out her a royal beauty.
I love how the fadedness of the thrown, drape and even the people push the two
main caricatures forward.
In those day being knighted was a very special honor. You were only knighted after years of hard work training and passing many tests, or you did a something very heroic,
and you had to be of noble birth.
In those day being knighted was a very special honor. You were only knighted after years of hard work training and passing many tests, or you did a something very heroic,
and you had to be of noble birth.
This is a very stunning piece. I think the diagonal line that follows the sword makes an interesting connection between the characters.
ReplyDeleteComposition wise this piece is very clean. Each element is given its own space that heightens its importance. The womans light skin and dress contrast against the dark sheet behind her, the men to the side have their own space and everything especially the sword points to the man being knighted. Overall a beautifully thought out piece.
ReplyDeleteThis is a very interesting piece in which the composition was set to include the onlookers. I believe that the viewers of the action are just as important as the action itself. The detail work in this painting shows that the painter wanted to be very accurate in depicting the subjects.
ReplyDeleteMy goodness. This has some real pressing things in it. At least I would think so for art of this time. This is the first piece of this age where I see a woman bestowing a vastly high honor upon a man (becoming a knight was NOT a game, oh my lord). I like how the people in the back are viewing the honorable event with a look of...not really relief, but an unknown sense of satisfaction. As if they're surprised but happy to see a woman honor such a position to someone who at this time was still seen as her better.
ReplyDelete