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Sir Frank Dicksee, P.R.A. 1853-1928 r "tHE poetic meaning of this picture is apparent, alike in its title and subject, and it could be taken for an illustration to the opening line of Twelfth Night, “ If music be the food of love, play on.” The artist has brought together all the essentials of romanceâ€"the young lovers in medieval costumes, the musical instrument, and the stained-glass window in which is dimly perceived a design of the Madonna and Child. The light filtering through the stained glass tinges the whole scene with a certain mystical atmosphere. The girl’s head is skilfully framed by the window, her auburn hair and pensive profile contrasting with the dark hair and rapt expression of her admirer. Although much of the picture is in shadow, there is a great wealth of subdued colour from dark green to luminous crimson, from yellow to blue. The action of the girl’s arms is particularly realistic, and the artist has made the most of the fight from the window’ to aid him in revealing the form of the hands and forearms. j This picture, which was painted by Frank Dicksee when he was a young man, brought the artist a great popular success, which he consolidated during the course of a long fife with various other subject pictures and portraits of beautiful women. The wide popularity of “ Harmony ” is not difficult to understand, for romantic love tales are still sought for by the great public, and as artists are no longer inclined to paint them, men and women find what they seek in the “pictures ” of the cinema. “ Harmony ” was the happy composition upon which Sir Frank Dicksee founded his artistic fortune, and he achieved the cherished desire of all artistsâ€"the presidency of the Royal Academyâ€"in 1924, and received the honour of knighthood a year later. Being a man of distinguished appearance and manner, he was an ideal president. He passed away on October 3, 1928, the last representative of an epoch, for with him the school of w7ell-known Victorian narrative painters practically came to an end. from: THE WORLD'S GREAT PAINTINGS (T^Leman Hare, ed.) OdhamsPr.,