The artwork, titled “Hope,” was created by Edward Burne-Jones in the year 1871. This piece is a watercolor painting, categorized under the genre of allegorical painting. It is currently housed in the Dunedin Public Art Gallery in Dunedin, New Zealand.
In this evocative and symbolic composition, the artist portrays a lone female figure in a state of rapture and aspiration. She stands barefoot on a tiled floor, draped in a flowing deep blue garment that seems to move with an ethereal grace. Her left hand reaches upwards towards the sky, clasping a symbolic object or piece of cloth, symbolizing hope or aspiration, with her gaze fervently directed towards it. The backdrop features a barred window, suggesting confinement, yet her gesture and expression embody the surge of hope that defies her enclosed surroundings. Blossoming flowers in her left arm, especially the white ones, likely signify purity and the undying spirit of hope. The coordination of colors, the soft blending, and the detailed depiction of her attire all emphasize the allegorical nature of the painting, imbuing the viewer with a profound sense of contemplation and yearning.
