Jun 16
Midsummer Eve, watercolor and gouache on paper (1908)
Celebrated painting by the British artist Edward Robert Hughes (1851–1914), often associated with the Pre-Raphaelite movement.
The work captures the mystical folklore of the Summer Solstice, a time when the veil between the human and fairy worlds was believed to be thinnest.
The painting is famous for its magical "inner glow". Hughes was a master of watercolor, using a labor-intensive stippling technique to create depth and a luminous quality that rivals oil paintings.
The color palette contrasts the cool, deep blues of the twilight forest and the warm, incandescent ambers of the fairy lanterns.
Loc. Private collection. Dim. 114.3 cm H x 76.2 cm W (45 x 30 in.).
