The Walker Art Gallery. The Punishment of Lust by Giovanni Segantini (later re named the punishment of Luxury)

'The punishment of lust' belongs to a series of paintings produced between 1891-96 on the theme of bad mothers (cattive madri). Segantini was inspired by Nirvana, a poem written by the 12th century monk Luigi Illica in imitation of the Indian text Panghiavahli. Illica's poem contained the phrase 'la Mala Madre' (the bad or wicked mother with an echo similar to 'la mala femmina' or prostitute) to describe those women who refused the responsibilities of motherhood.
The souls of the women are depicted floating against a snowy background based on the Swiss Alps where Segantini spent much of his life. The grandeur and spirituality of the Alps was a constant inspiration to Segantini whose last words before he died were: "I want to see my mountains".
In the painting the spirits of the women are punished for having committed the sin of abortion consciously or by neglect. Segantini had lost his mother when he was seven years old and was probably passionate to represent the trauma of the mother for the loss of her child. Segantini believed that a woman's role in life was motherhood and that a woman who objects to this was mean, bad or selfish. His beliefs drew from both religious and metaphysical ideas: the sanctity and motherhood of the Virgin Mary combined with the fertility of nature.
Segantini came from a country shaped by Catholicism. Although in his private life he never conformed to catholic doctrine, for example he refused to marry his partner and mother of his four children, his work was strongly influenced by religious ideas. What may have attracted Segantini to religion may have been the hope for a life after death.
Despite the tragic and somewhat misogynistic theme of the painting, the overall effect achieved by the thread-like brushstrokes is very atmospheric and dreamy. The mysterious atmosphere set by the painting is in line with the painter's metaphysical views about the connection between human and natural life.

The Walker Art Gallery. Echo and Narcissus, By J W Waterhouse

In Greek mythology, the unhappy nymph Echo was condemned to repeat the last words spoken to her. She fell in love with the beautiful youth Narcissus. He rejected her and was punished by falling in love with his own reflection. He was trapped by the sight of his own beauty and died. Yellow narcissus flowers grew where he died and Waterhouse has included these in the painting.

J W Waterhouse is my favourite out of all the Pre Raphealite artists.

The Walker Art Gallery. Psyche in the temple of Love, by Edward John Poynter

Edward John Poynter

Early in his career Poynter studied in Rome, where he met Frederick leighton his greatest single artistic influence. He then moved to Paris in 1855. On returning to London, he became involved on book illustration. In 1865 he produced his first really successful picture, Faithful Unto Death, a Roman sentry staying at his post in Pompeii as Vesuvius overwhelmed the city. This dramatic painting was probably never bettered by Poynter throughout his whole long career. Poynter became an Associate of the Royal academy in 1869, at an unusually early age. Much of the rest of his life was devoted to the Academy, he was hardworking, conscientious, and a competent administrator.

Poynter married Agnes MacDonald, the sister ofBurne jones's wife Georgiana. Burne-Jones disliked Poynter, who was an unsympathetic, brusque character. When Leighton died in 1896, he was succeeded aspresident of the Royal Academy by Millais who was suffering from cancer of the throat. On the death of Millais a few months later, Poynter succeeded him. He was PRA for the next two decades.

From the turn of the century Poynter's paintings declined both in numbers and standard, his main priority being the running of the Academy. He lived to see the death of classicism, and the total eclipse of his own artistic standards, and those of his contemporaries. He adopted the approach of ignoring new developments of which he did not approve. Unhappily Poynter outstayed his welcome. One of the last duties of the eighty one year old PRA, was to attend the funeral of J W Waterhouse. There was, though, something splendid about the way he remained consistent to the last, resisting what he saw as the corruption, and denigration of all that was beautiful in art. He may even have been right.

The Walker Art Gallery Dante and Beatrice by Henry Holiday

 Dante concealed his love for Beatrice by pretending to be attracted by other women. The scene shown here is that of Beatrice refusing to greet Dante because of the gossip that had reached her. Beatrice is the woman dressed in white. The woman next to Beatrice is Monna Vanna (or Giovanna) a companion of Beatrice and the mistress of Dante's friend Guido Cavalcanti. In the painting the stern almost statuesque expression of Beatrice contrasts with the posture of Monna Vanna who not only appears to support Beatrice's decision but looks back to Dante's reaction.

The Walker Art Gallery. Dante's Dream by Rossetti

Rossatti had a life-long interest in the Italian poet Dante. This painting shows an episode from the 'Vita Nuova'. In it Dante dreams that he is led by Love to the death-bed of Beatrice Portinari, the object of his unrequited passion.
This is Rossetti's largest ever painting. In it he creates a visionary world through soft, rich colours and complex symbols. The attendants wear green for hope, while the spring blossoms signify purity. The red doves indicate the presence of love and the poppies symbolise the sleep of dreams and death.
The model for Beatrice was Jane Morris, with whom Rossetti had a long-term affair.

The Walker Art Gallery. Hope by George Frederick Watts

The blinded figure, seated on the sphere with her broken lyre, is bending her ear to catch what music she may from the last remaining string. She cannot see the star shining above her; one by one the sweet notes of music have been taken from her, but still she sits, bowed but not broken, plucking with tender fingers whatever melody she may from the last string of those that gave her the full harmonies of beauty. She has no vision either of the star above or of the world of darkness and gloom below. Her attitude of dejection almost rejects the conventional idea that there is happiness to be found when everything seems lost, but the picture suggests the larger hope of the world that there is peace and light above the turmoil and sorrow of the earth.

The Walker Art Gallery. Elaine by Sophie Anderson

Elaine fell in love with Sir Lancelot, one of King Arthur’s knights. He abandoned her in favour of Queen Guinevere; she died from unrequited love and here her faithful dumb servant is rowing her to King Arthur’s palace at Camelot. She is holding a lily, representing purity, and a letter expressing her undying love for Lancelot.

The artist’s source was Tennyson’s ‘Idylls of the King’ of 1859 which popularised the Arthurian romances in Victorian England. Few women artists dared to paint grand history pictures as early as 1870

In the Walker Art Gallery Pelagia and Philammon by Arthur Hacker

A near-naked woman lies on the ground. Above her head a halo hovers like a smoke ring. Near by a hooded figure sits, plate, chalice and rosary beads by his side. In the distance vultures gather. In the foreground a large bracelet is half buried in the sand.

The two characters are from a novel, called Hypatia, by Charles Kingsley, published 1853. Kingsley's first historical novel about the religious politics of fifth century Alexandria, the dreadful climax of which has Hypatia, the brilliant and beautiful Neoplatonist 'pagan' philosopher, stripped and torn to pieces by a fanatical mob of Christian monks. 

Pelagia and Philammon are sister and brother, separated in childhood. Philammon becomes a monk, Pelagia a dancer and courtesan. They are reunited in Alexandria only to be separated in the chaos following Hypatia's murder. Twenty years later, Philammon, now Abbot of his monastery, goes in search of his sister. Pelagia meanwhile has become a Christian hermit in the desert. She has given away all her finery except for 'one bracelet of gold, of large size and strange workmanship, engraven with foreign characters, which no one could decipher.'

Philammon finds his sister at the point of death and administers the holy sacraments to her. Later, a search party from the monastery discover their dead Abbot lying next to his sister in a shallow grave. The bodies had been guarded by two lions who kept the vultures at bay until the grave could be filled in.   

Arthur Hacker (1858-1919) studied at the Royal Academy and in Paris. He was 29 when he exhibited Pelagia and Philammon, his first serious painting of the nude figure. He had by this time travelled widely in France, Italy, Spain and - an especially relevant source for this picture - in Algeria and Morrocco. The vultures were studied at London Zoo.