Isabella and the Pot of Basil (1897). John White Alexander (American, 1856-1915). Oil on canvas. MFA
Isabella and the Pot of Basil (1897). John White Alexander (American, 1856-1915). Oil on canvas. MFA, Boston.From a John Keats poem of 1820. Isabella’s humbly born lover Lorenzo was murdered by her brothers. The distraught Isabella bathed Lorenzo’s head with her tears and hid it in a pot with sweet basil, a plant associated with lovers. The eerie light, the cold monochromatic palette, and the sensuous curves of Isabella’s gown depict the loving attention Isabella gives the pot, which she gently caresses. -- source link
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