Goneril and Regan, King Lear, Act I, Scene I 1902

Curator: Standing before us, painted in 1902 by Edwin Austin Abbey, we have "Goneril and Regan, King Lear, Act I, Scene I," rendered in oil. Editor: The faces… They have a certain chill. It’s more than just their expressions. It's in the colors. The red dress of Goneril practically vibrates with suppressed malice. It gives me the shivers. Curator: Abbey, in this depiction, clearly portrays them as powerful figures, almost looming. Think about Shakespeare's text. Goneril and Regan embody ruthless ambition, willing to flatter their father to gain power. Editor: And they certainly exude a kind of entitlement here. The artist makes striking choices in terms of their presentation; jewels, regal clothing, their unblinking stares…they hold themselves with chilling confidence. This is an Edwardian interpretation of the sisters as archetypes of dangerous women. I can see echoes of femme fatales who appear throughout the Symbolist movement at the time the painting was created. Curator: Precisely! Abbey masterfully suggests their cruelty through composition and coloring. Goneril, especially, she looks almost ghostly against the soft backdrop, as if she haunts the very room she occupies. Did you also note how they are physically close, almost intimate? But somehow the emotional space is wide, empty. Editor: Yes! An observation well-made. There's this tight proximity that doesn’t read as intimacy but more like strategic alignment. The slight contrast of each sister in the other's shadow also conveys the dynamic of rivalry and cooperation, the sisterly bond pushed towards evil... it feels incredibly tense! Curator: I suppose Abbey really invites us to imagine the mindset of these women. A mindset where filial piety and genuine affection take a backseat to personal ambition. Editor: It's interesting how this one image holds such complex human emotions. Perhaps that’s the lasting legacy of Shakespeare, in combination with Abbey’s technical facility as an artist! Curator: It gives new life to this Shakespearean villain. Editor: The painting serves as a potent reminder that unchecked ambition and betrayal can wear the guise of royal elegance.