A legend

A pale-faced woman wearing a peaked crimson hennin stands centrally beneath a gilded arch, plucking a lute whose body extends into her long robe. That robe is painted as a fantastical townscape of white towers, staircases, and rooftops beneath a small flag. To her left, framed in a stained-glass mosaic, a white unicorn rests among vines; to her right, a mounted red horse and a rider with a bow appear among green foliage.

Gold leaf and warm ochre dominate the background, broken into faceted, stained-glass-like panels of deep green, maroon, and rust that recall medieval tapestry or icon painting. Fine, controlled linework details the lute, the architecture on the gown, and the animals, contrasting with the flat gilded ground. The combination of jewel tones and legendary motifs creates a hushed, otherworldly, storybook atmosphere.