#emmasandys — Public Fediverse posts

"Pleasant Dreams," Emma Sandys, 1876.

Sandys (1841-1877) was a minor member of the Pre-Raphaelites, and as such is often overlooked. Her brother Frederick, also a painter, was a more prominent member, but unlike him she never courted controversy as he did, early on with some caricature engravings.

Emma's work was mostly portraits of children and young women, usually in period dress, often with floral backgrounds. She rarely identifies the sitter; she will instead frequently cast them as characters from mythology, history, or a Shakespeare play.

Here we have an unidentified woman sitting with her eyes closed, but I doubt she's asleep. She clutches a rolled paper to herself; one can guess it's a letter from her beloved. So what may seem like sleep is instead she's daydreaming of their future together. Behind her head is some holly, typically representing protection and good fortune; I don't know what the pink flowers may be.

Sandys died young, of pulmonary issues, and of course many of her paintings were credited to her brother. Only in the last few decades is she getting her due.

From the University of Dundee Fine Arts Collection.

#Art #PreRaphaelites #WomenArtists #WomenInArt #EmmaSandys #PortraitMonday