Frederic William Burton: The meeting on the Turret Stairs (1864)

(National Gallery of Ireland, Dublin, Ireland)

A famous painting by the Irish artist Frederic William Burton (1816-1900). the subject of this painting is an episode from a Danish balled called 'Hellelil and Hildebrand' (the balled was translated into English by Whitley Stokes in 1855, a friend of Burton). in the story, the princess Hellelil falls in love with Hildebrand, one of her bodyguards. The father of Hellelil disapproves of the relationship and ordered the seven brothers of Hellelil to kill Hildebrand. The painting shows the final meeting of the two lovers: Hildebrand knows he is walking into a trap which will kill him and both lovers have their final embrace. Painting from 1864.