The Enchanted Sea
Artist: Henry Albert Payne (British, 1868-1940)
Date: ca. 1890
Medium: Oil on canvas
Collection: Leicester Galleries, London, United Kingdom
Description
The Enchanted Sea illustrates an 1856 fantasy tale by the English novelist George Meredith (1828-1909), The Shaving of Shagpat: An Arabian Entertainment. Meredith was twenty-eight years old when this tale was published. It has been described as a very curious work.
Plot Summary: Shibli Bagarag, a Persian barber, and Noorna, an enchantress, are given the quest of shaving the tyrant Shagpat, who by the power of his magical hair holds his city in thrall. Along the way Shibli acquires a magic sword and meets a series of exotic creatures, including a talking hawk and several genies.
Payne's picture The Enchanted Sea illustrates a fantastical scene from the tales of Goorelka of Oolb and The Lily of the Enchanted Sea. The Princess of Oolb sits in her cockle shell boat on the enchanted sea, the ships are manned by bewitched mariners, the floating heads are beautiful women. The talking hawk is by her side.
