Isabella and the Pot of Basil

John William Waterhouse painted Isabella and the Pot of Basil with oils, and what strikes me first is the intense light falling on Isabella's face, creating a focal point, drawing us into her private moment of grief. Waterhouse's use of color here is really intriguing; the soft, muted tones of the garden contrast with the vivid blue of Isabella’s sleeve. Look at the way the fabric pools around her arm. It feels almost sculpted, but also like a stain spreading on the canvas, as Waterhouse lets the paint do its thing. The way she embraces the pot, there’s a sensuality in her posture, in the roundness of the forms. And the shadows cast by the pot and the figure create a sense of depth and mystery. Waterhouse’s Pre-Raphaelite leanings can be seen in the highly staged naturalistic scene, a nod to Millais’ Ophelia perhaps, although Waterhouse has a much tighter, academic style. But whatever, the guy could paint!