Themes

The Precious Stones (series) (1900)

In this series, women personify four precious stones. In each panel, the upper part of the composition is dominated by the female figure, while the lower part features a realistically drawn flower whose colour echoes that of the particular gemstone. The colour scheme of each panel - including the flowing robes, the hair decorations, the mosaic halos and even the colour of the woman's eyes – recalls the colour of the stone. This lends a pleasing harmony to each image.