The Fantasy Female
"Mythology and Misogyny" in the works of John William Waterhouse and Edward Burne-Jones
The dominant theme in the works of the Pre-Raphaelite movement was a fascination and infatuation with a narrative that portrayed images of women from mythology, poetry and fantasy literature. The stories and scenes featured in their artworks were rarely without depictions of beautiful, fragile, melancholic women, and the evil, but equally beautiful, tainted, sensual seductress; more often nude or in revealing or little clothing. In this essay, I will explore and discuss the ways in which ideas about femininity and female sexual power are framed in the mythological and fantasy paintings of the late Pre-Raphaelite artists, John William Waterhouse and Edward Burne-Jones. I will consider the approaches these artists used to depict women as fantasy beings and creatures from myths and tales by comparing paintings that explore and present similar or differing themes of fantasy femininity.
The Victorian era, in the backdrop of the rapid changes of the industrial revolution and progressive ide…