The princess out of school

1.

The Princess Out of
School
EDWARD ROBERT HUGHES

2.

Under the shadow of your beloved home
She is on a bed of fresh flowers ...

3.

Edward Robert Hughes
(1851-1914) was born into an artistic
family; he grew up being surrounded by
the devoted followers of PreRaphaelite style. His mentors
influenced on forming the ideals of
the future master greatly: the PreRaphaelites drew their inspiration
from romantic literature, medieval
ballads, ancient myths and legends,
from the poetry of John Milton,
William Shakespeare and Dante
Alighieri. They used to contrapose
their works to the classical painting
school, static and lacking emotion.
The main motive of their paintings is
motion, sensuality, impetuosity,
emotionality, passion.

4.

For most of his creatures, Hughes chose mythological and romantic
plots. The inspiration for the picture titled "The Princess Out of
School” was the lines John Keats, the English poet, whose work was
greatly admired by many Pre-Raphaelites. Keats' poems were filled with
admiration for nature and the beauty of the world.

5.

The painting “Princess Out of School”
depicts a young girl who is shown
surrounded by flowers and herbs, and
fascinatedly staring at her reflection in
the water surface. Her rich attires are
scattered in folds on the grass, seeming to
merge with the flowering carpet on which
the princess lies. Loose hair resembles the
bizarre curls of plants of those
surrounding the girl, and the floral
ornament on her dress further accentuates
harmony and unity with nature.

6.

A young girl is the epitome of
grace, serenity and curiosity. She
lies relaxed among the flowers as if
on a pillow and looks at her
surroundings with interest. Her pose
and emotions look very natural and
lively - as if it's just a
photograph, not a painting.
The work is done in warm, natural
tones, mostly green with orange
shades, to emphasize a tangible
connection with nature. All the
colors flow smoothly into each other,
hiding the visibility of brush
strokes and giving the picture an
even greater resemblance to a
photograph. Shadows and rays of light
look incomparable, giving warmth to
people looking at the picture.

7.

The whole picture seems to shine with a soft, enswathing light this amazing skill of the painter is actually manifested in all
of his works: Edward Hughes is traditionally compared with
Renoir, Caravaggio and Kuindzhi , who are considered to be
unsurpassed masters of light.
Contrary to the immutable academic rule dictating to
write conditional vegetation on a dark background,
Hughes covered the canvases with white paint and then
painted real, fresh flowers, trees and herbs, hitting
the viewer with the perfection of details and their
botanical authenticity, among which the subtle and
graceful princess seems to be a sort of embodiment of
the ancient goddess Flora, willing to have some rest
among their lands.

8.

At first glance, the plot of the
picture "Princess Out of School" can
seem simple, leaving the viewer plenty
of room for imagination and
reflection. What is the princess
thinking of? What dreams are kept in
her heart? Who inspired the master and
served as a prototype for the
princess? As a true Pre-Raphaelite,
Hughes speaks to the viewers, using
the halftones and hints, and his
attentive observation of the ambient
world and care to the tiny details
allow one to get completely immersed
in the contemplation of the painting
and feel placidity and harmony with
nature.
Throughout the master’s lifetime, not
a single personal exhibition of his
paintings was arranged, but today his
bewitching and magical works have
become famous all around the world.