Artwork
Beau leaning over a girl in bed with attendant nymphs
Beau leaning over a girl in bed with attendant nymphs is a watercolor work on paper by the Art Nouveau artist Charles Robinson. It dates from 1931 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
About this work
Overview
This 1931 watercolour, titled 'Rococo Fantasy', is the work of Charles Robinson, a British illustrator and watercolourist. It depicts a fantastical bedroom scene with a reclining woman, attendant figures, and floating nymphs.
Subject & Meaning
The scene may illustrate a passage from Alexander Pope's 'The Rape of the Lock', given its Rococo fantasy elements. A man leans over a woman in a red dress on a bed, surrounded by half-naked attendants and floating figures holding flowers and a canopy.
Technique & Style
Robinson's style in this watercolour blends influences from Albrecht Dürer, the Pre-Raphaelite movement, and Japanese prints. Soft colours and delicate lines create a light, airy atmosphere, merging the real and fantastical elements of the scene.
History & Provenance
The watercolour was bequeathed to the Victoria and Albert Museum in 1982 by Edith Mary Robinson, the artist's daughter. Charles Robinson came from a family of illustrators and engravers, including his father Thomas Robinson and brothers William and Thomas Heath Robinson.
Artist & collection
Artist
Charles Robinson painted dreamy watercolors in the 1930s—soft hills, medieval villages, and gentle nudes all in delicate washes.
