Feeling the Heat at first glance looks like a beautiful woman peacefully sleeping on a bed. The silky white sheets seem to be so comforting that she is grasping them in her hand. Her eyes are sealed shut and look as if they are unable to open because she is in such a deep sleep. Just as you begin to look away, something eerie catches your eye. You start to get an uneasy feeling about the picture. The fact that her dress strap on her left shoulder is misplaced is a little odd. The lady’s dress appears to be riding up much higher than it should be. It is almost as if someone just threw her onto the bed. Perhaps she had too much to drink and she is passed out. Or maybe she took a drug and is now reaping the worst outcome. She may have overdosed on a simple drug such as Tylenol or Advil, or maybe she took a much worse kind, such as Cocaine or Heroine. There is even a slight possibility that someone else gave her the drug and left her there. Another possibility is she may have died. A peaceful death may have been a possibility. Hopefully she just lay down to take a short nap before going out for the evening. However, it could be a nap that she never wakes up from. The alternative to this is she was murdered. The fact that her arms are draped around her carelessly and her clothes and hair are messed up is a little disturbing.
The perfect white sheet she is laying on can also mean some significance. In today’s society, white symbolizes something very pure. For example, women wear a perfectly white wedding dress to let everyone know they are in their first marriage and are very pure. Because of this, the mystery women seems to be very pure and happy with her life. It could mean that she was very loved and well taken care of. If she was murdered, it could mean that someone that was very jealous of her could have done it.
This painting by John Waterhouse creates some interesting points and topics. There are many ways to look at the picture. Different ways of interpreting it is what makes it so interesting. My view on the topic can be completely different than yours. It keeps and makes are interesting and fun.
