Sir Edward John Poynter

President of the Royal Academy in London, Poynter received most of his training in Rome where he closely studied the works of Michelangelo. “Poynter was an outstanding draughtsman in the academic tradition, who loved drawing for its own sake, and he made numerous fluent studies, many of them in black chalk, for each of his paintings.” Furthermore, Poynter painted mostly religious and biblical figures, although “Despite impeccable Academic credentials, Poynter’

s work was surprisingly wide in range and eclectic influences… [He] was closely connected with the Pre-Raphaelite circle.”

“The Festival” is well balanced, with key subject matter lying from the top to the bottom of the painting. The elder of the women stands upon the bottom rung of a ladder, reaching upward toward the ceiling upon which she is placing the floral garland. By placing the plant behind the seated woman, it flows toward the center of the painting, as do the roses (scattered toward the center) to further emphasize the two women and their actions. The background of the work consists of ornate Ionic pillars with red walls, and an elaborately floral mosaic floor. Behind the seated woman is a large, lively looking plant, which adds a sense of being to the scene. To the immediate right of the plant rests a large, black urn. There is no central focus in the painting; all areas are lit with the same slightly shadowed lighting and bold colors. Of the two women, one is dressed in a cream colored outfit, with a red ribbon and delicately placed hair. The other has golden red hair, with just enough light reflecting off of it to show that the room is open and well lit. She also wears a ti

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