La Belle Dam Sans Merci 1924

Frank Cadogan Cowper made this painting, La Belle Dam Sans Merci, with oil on canvas, and what strikes me most is the colour, the warm oranges, reds, and greens. I can imagine him beginning this work, trying to build up the layers slowly, but the composition is the real enigma here. It's like he’s got this knight lying on the ground, discarded as if he was just another thing to trample over, like that field of poppies. And then there’s this woman, arms up, as if nothing’s wrong. She's so compelling! There’s this dialogue between the sensuality of the red dress and the cold reality of the armor. I'm reminded of other painters who messed with the rules of decorum. Like Manet, for example, turning classical painting on its head! It is almost like Cowper wants to show us that beauty is not always kind.