Description
This moving scene features a young woman smelling the fresh flowers in a shrine, standing in front of a few small steps, perhaps in a quiet spot in a large garden. This delicacy and femininity is totally typical of the artist and can be witnessed in paintings throughout his career.
Waterhouse liked to make use of the private gardens, as well as the open spaces in the local woods. The former often included architectural touches that added interest to his work, and that is certainly the case here. In fact, the title of the work is based on the small detail to the left of the figure, as she leans down to smell the fresh flowers.
The steps themselves lead to another, more open part of the garden, dominated by a series of trees. The same features and colors appear over and over again within this artist's career as he created a particular look that remained consistent throughout. Waterhouse combined British landscapes with classical features from Roman times.
Waterhouse liked to make use of the private gardens, as well as the open spaces in the local woods. The former often included architectural touches that added interest to his work, and that is certainly the case here. In fact, the title of the work is based on the small detail to the left of the figure, as she leans down to smell the fresh flowers.
The steps themselves lead to another, more open part of the garden, dominated by a series of trees. The same features and colors appear over and over again within this artist's career as he created a particular look that remained consistent throughout. Waterhouse combined British landscapes with classical features from Roman times.