Annabel Lee 1885 - 1887

James McNeill Whistler crafted this pastel drawing, Annabel Lee, capturing a lone figure by the sea. Note the irises at the bottom, their delicate purple evoking Iris, the Greek goddess of the rainbow, a messenger between the heavens and earth. This motif of a lone figure by the sea appears throughout art history; consider Caspar David Friedrich's "Wanderer above the Sea of Fog." But here, instead of confronting the sublime, our figure seems lost in reverie, gazing towards the horizon. The sea, often a symbol of the subconscious, merges with the sky, blurring boundaries between reality and dreams. The loose, flowing drapery hints at a classical influence, reminiscent of ancient sculptures of nymphs or goddesses. Yet, it is the figure’s turned back, the averted gaze, that speaks volumes, suggesting a world of introspection and unspoken emotions. This pose taps into our collective memory of longing and contemplation, engaging us on a deeply personal level. It is a pose that has evolved through time yet continues to be imbued with a sense of mystery and melancholy.