Artwork
Bhanavar The Beautiful
Bhanavar The Beautiful is a watercolor work on paper by the Impressionist artist Frederick Sandys. It dates from 1894 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
About this work
The book was written by George Meredith and first published in 1856.
This painting shows a woman dancing with serpents. She's wearing a magic jewel on her forehead. The story behind this image is interesting - it was made to illustrate a book called The Story of Bhanavar the Beautiful, which is part of a collection of tales.
The book was written by George Meredith and first published in 1856. The painting is a dramatic scene with a lot of movement. You can learn more about this style by looking at the work of artist: Sandys, Frederick
Overview
Frederick Sandys created a water‑colour titled Bhanavar the Beautiful that depicts a dancing woman surrounded by coiling serpents. The composition is lively and dramatic, centring on the figure’s jeweled forehead, which marks her as the story’s enchanted heroine.
Subject & Meaning
The scene illustrates a passage from George Meredith’s The Story of Bhanavar the Beautiful, part of his 1856 pseudo‑oriental collection The Shaving of Shagpat. In the narrative, Bhanavar, the innocent daughter of a Caucasian amir, acquires a magical jewel and is transformed into a queen who commands serpents.
Technique & Style
Executed in water‑colour, the work shows Sandys’s affinity for the Pre‑Raphaelite aesthetic, especially the lush, detailed rendering of the female form championed by Dante Gabriel Rossetti. The delicate washes and vivid colour contrast heighten the sense of movement and exoticism.
History & Provenance
The image originated as a monochrome frontispiece commissioned by Chapman and Hall for the second edition of Meredith’s tales in 1865. At the author’s request, Sandys produced this coloured version as a personal gift. It later appeared in The Artist (Winter 1896) and was shown at the Royal Academy’s Winter Exhibition in 1905.
Context
Illustration was a central component of Sandys’s career; he supplied images for magazines, picture books, and editions of poetry, ballads, myths and legends. After moving from Norwich to London in 1851, he absorbed the Pre‑Raphaelites’ emphasis on rich narrative detail, which is evident in this work.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Anthony Frederick Augustus Sandys (born Antonio Frederic Augustus Sands), 1 May 1829 – 25 June 1904, usually known as Frederick Sandys, was a British painter, illustrator, and draughtsman, associated with the Pre-Raphaelites.
