In the first part of this article, I wrote about the creative decisions I've made in order to find the best composition for "La Belle Dame Sans Merci" graphic.
Today I will talk about the composition that I have chosen for my painting.
Step 1: Composition
In the beginning, I chose the wrong path by using the "Two Circles" composition structure. It was too complicated with all those figures in different poses. Then, I found that a triangle composition suits perfectly the poem. Why? See by yourself!
The triangle composition gives me the opportunity to arrange only three main objects. The objects are connected with secret bonds which make the overlook even more fascinating. All sides of the triangle are different lenght which makes you feel the dynamic in the picture.
In fact, each corner is attached to the solar plexus (center) of each figure.
There are some famous paintings which contain the triangle composition in their structure.
Birth of Venus - Sandro Botticelli
The Balcony - Edouard Manet
Witches' Flight - Francisco Goya
Step 2: Story
Тhe poem can be divided into three parts. 1.Тhe protagonist is near a cold lake and he is feelling "alone and pale". 2. He falls in love with a beautiful woman with "wild, wild eyes" and there is intense feeling of deep affection between them. 3. The protagonist wakes up in the same cold place where "no birds sing" but now it's even worse - he feels in doubts and close to dead.
There are many ways to illustrate the story of the poem.
Let's brainstorm together:
* We could illustrate one particular scene from the poem. John William Waterhouse is an example for that idea. He painted the second scene where the two main figures are consumed by desire to be with each other.
Illustration of the poem
by John William Waterhouse
*We could draw multiple pictures like Julian Peters did in his comics.
Click to see the whole comics: thinhttps://julianpeterscomics.com/la-belle-dame-sans-merci-by-john-keats/
*I chose a third option - to keep in secret the object of desire, beloved one with wild eyes, the beautiful lady without mercy. I placed great emphasis on the one who is in love:
1. The stage of falling in love when he feels like falling into the unknown.
2. The stage of the enjoyment.
3. The stage of death when he is departed from his woman.
Where is the image of a woman in the painting? A good question to ask! Well, you could find the answer here:
"She took me to her Elfin grot,
And there she wept and sighed full sore,
And there I shut her wild wild eyes
With kisses four.
And there she lullèd me asleep,
And there I dreamed—Ah! woe betide!—
The latest dream I ever dreamt
On the cold hill side."
p.s. La Belle Dame Sans Merci painting lives here: https://fineartamerica.com/featured/la-belle-dame-sans-merci-smokini.html
See you in Part 3 of the article!