Angel Gabriel Looks At Mariana And Not Mary - 2387 Words

What is more interesting is that Angel Gabriel looks at Mariana and not Mary in the painting which suggests a hope, she wants her love to be consummated, a Gabriel to come to her and inform her but it intensifies the pathos even further.â€Å"Mary† which in Hebrew means uncertainty, as she was uncertain whether she would be able to conceive until Gabriel arrived but â€Å"Mary† (uncertainty) + â€Å"Ann† (graceful) leads us to â€Å"Mariana† who is gracefully expecting even though she is uncertain about her destiny. The heraldry depicts snowdrop which represents consolation, according to floral symbolism. However, it is the flower associated with the ritual of St. Agnes’ Eve, when adolescent girls hope for visionary glimpses of prospective husbands. These meta-representations projects the mental state of the subject sometimes through contrast and irony as well. We see an altar, a private devotional space so we have a sense of her life being taken u p between prayer and meditation which in turn accentuates the theme of longing. The metallic objects add to the visual irony as a church like atmosphere of marriage is being created in Mariana’s room which is never possible. Mariana still wears a waistband which can symbolise her hopes of conjugal bliss which is clearly visible against the deep hue of her dress. The presence of the only animal in the painting, that is the mouse, who seems to be her ironic companion and in terms of materiality it is equated with Mariana’s secluded existence. TheShow MoreRelatedSubject Object Constitution Of Pre Raphaelite Compositions : Binary Or Hierarchy?1692 Words   |  7 Pagestakes us to the question of whether it adds to the theme or subject of the painting or do the objects dominate or tend to make us forget about the subject. It also puts forth an observation of art being an interpretation and not a rendition. If we look closely into the painting we can see that each flower a dds to the theme of the text but apart from â€Å"daisy†, â€Å"rosemary†, â€Å"rue†, â€Å"violet†, â€Å"pansies†, â€Å"columbines†, â€Å"fennel† which are mentioned by Ophelia herself in Act 4 scene 5 and â€Å"willows†, â€Å"crow-flowers†