The artwork titled “Dorigen of Britain Waiting for the Return of Her Husband,” created by Edward Burne-Jones in 1871, belongs to the Romanticism movement and is classified as a literary painting. It depicts an evocative scene inspired by literary themes, reflected in the emotion and symbolism characteristic of Romanticism.
In the artwork, a woman dressed in a flowing blue gown leans intently against a window frame, gazing out towards the tumultuous sea. Her posture expresses a poignant sense of longing and anticipation, as she waits for her husband’s return. The intricate, domestic setting of the interior, with an open book and a small storage cabinet, contrasts with the vast, wild expanse of the seascape visible through the window. The dramatic rocks and turbulent waves echo the emotional turmoil of Dorigen as she yearns for her husband’s arrival, capturing the essence of romantic despair and fidelity.