Seated Man, Woman with Jar, and Boy

Within a walled garden, a man wearing a striking blue costume and ornate necklace catches the gaze of a woman holding a jar. A young boy stands just behind her, carrying a spear. Beyond the wall we glimpse treetops, and birds fill a bright sky.This picture is part of a series of four decorative paintings based on Torquato Tasso’s Jerusalem Delivered, a poem set in the First Crusade (1096–99), a Christian military campaign to recapture Jerusalem from Islamic rule. It doesn‘t illustrate a specific subject, but is seemingly more inspired by the people and motifs in Tasso’s poem.The figures’ twisted poses create a sense of movement, while the wonderful fabrics and patterns, made up of loose brushstrokes that catch the light, add vibrancy and a feeling of energy.