The Painting of Saint Ursula

A lot of people have asked about the Carpaccio painting called The Dream of Saint Ursula which was  a major inspiration for my book.  Here it is.

There is so much in the painting that attracts my attention. There is the angel of course, which made me think of Audrey in my first book. Audrey with her angel scroll. I also find it interesting that the angel is a littler smaller than the saint herself.

Each object and each detail in the room holds meaning which would have been understood by people of the period. For instance the plants in the window are associated with fidelity in marriage.

Then there is the odd perspective. The room is a little out of square. Also the point of view is a little odd, as if the painter was hoovering about seven or eight feet in the air.  Keep in mind that painters of this period knew all about perspecitve and they did not make mistakes with it.

I don't know what to make of any of this. I don't pretend to know what it means, only to have a feeling it means something. Its the kind of thing that drifts up to the top of my mind often when I sit down to write.