John Frederick Lewis, 1805 - 1876
Lewis was an English painter who specialised in Oriental and Mediterranean subjects, having lived in Spain from 1832-34 and in Cairo from 1841-1850.
Although not a member of the Pre Raphaelite Brotherhood, Lewis's paintings do show a similarity to pre-raphaelite painting with their bright colours and wonderful attention to detail.
Lilium Auratum, 1871
This painting shows a concubine and her attendant (complete with cheeky grin!) in the harem garden.
The phrase Lilium Auratum is interesting.
It is the name of a lily native to Japan (Lilium auratum is one of the true lilies, native to Japan. The flower colour is typically white, with gold radial markings, and orange spots. Definition courtesy of Wikipedia where you can aslo find more information on this plant.)
The Latin word Auratum also means gilded, so the phrase "Lilium Auratum" can also mean "Gilded Lily". Now the phrase "to gild the lily" means to apply unnecessary ornamentation. This phrase is supposedly from Shakespeare's King John but many say that the actual phrase is to "paint the lily". And, according to another source, this phrase did not first appear until 1895 - and this painting is dated 1871.
Oh, and to muddy the waters even further, the "lily" in "gilding the lily" actually comes from the word Lilly, with 2 Ls, and meaning an ornament. (This is the only reference I can find that gives this meaning of lilly)
According to the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery which owns the painting, "The title refers to the Japanese lilies in the vase held by the concubine." |
