Edward Robert Hughes – Heart of Snow

by helen608

Hughes painted this image in fine strokes and with crisp colours to depict the lady as an icy creature, cold of heart. He used whites and skin tones, rich golds and blues to create the dreamy atmosphere. The woman is draped in sheer fabric and her breast is seen where the material has fallen away, bringing an eroticism to the scene. When I first saw this image I thought it showed an angel lying on clouds, yet on closer inspection I could see what I thought was heavenly cloud was in fact snow. This completely changed the way in which I read the  representation of the woman.