#incaensor

What, then, of the lauded Herald of Andraste? Her origins are as steeped in folktale as the deeds she wrought during the war. In the wake of the Elder One’s defeat, a thousand and one nobles from all corners of Thedas streamed to the fortress of Skyhold in hope of begging her favor. In the art world, ever a mirror image of our waking reality, the accompanying explosion was predictable; her image took it by storm, and to have such a piece in your collection became the vogue for well-to-do households across Orlais. The three I have arranged herein for the student’s consideration are some of the most sought-after examples.

The first is something of an outlier. Reportedly created by the dreaded Wolf himself, it was unearthed by Inquisition agents upon ransacking the scant possessions he had left behind, concealed in a sheaf of papers in his study. Though the medium is not plaster, the style itself is undeniably reminiscent of the now-famed elven frescoes adorning the walls in Skyhold’s rotunda. See how fondly he has captured the sharp angles of her face, the attention paid in every line. A romantic might fancy it a glimpse or window into another world to which most are not privy - contemplative, lonely, wistful - with spirits whispering in the paint. The background is indistinct - it is her features that the artist sees with utmost certainty and clarity, above all else. Curious that he chose to depict his subject prior to the mysterious vanishment of her elven markings, is it not? The meaning behind this decision is currently debated more hotly in scholarly circles than the exact year of Andraste’s birth.

Of the second, it must be noted that this is a classical masterwork that will withstand ages. Commissioned by an anonymous patron of the arts, it is currently on loan from the University of Orlais to Empress Celene, displayed in the gallery at the Winter Palace. That the painstakingly rendered likeness of an elf is now displayed so in Halamshiral, the ancestral home of their people, is a bittersweet irony lamented by none other than Divine Victoria herself in the days after she ascended the Sunburst Throne. The gilt frame compliments the Herald’s flaxen hair, particularly against the backdrop of the healed sky, but more than that, in her expression can be seen her talent for careful diplomacy. Ines Arancia identified the featured blooms as a rare variant of embrium, which counts itself a member of the orchid family. One would posit that here the artist was drawing a parallel between both the exceptional beauty and healing properties of embrium and those attributes of the Inquisitor herself. Their inclusion is also said to be an allusion to “the nobility of flowers”, a line heard in no less than three of the bard songs that have been composed about the Herald thus far.

The final piece is a portrait that was ordered in the fluid style popular among Antivan nobility. Here, the Herald’s countenance is such that she is both curious and wilful in equal measure. The dominant tones are red and green, hues which hark to her preferred manner of dress. A skilled observer shall doubtless notice a certain hurried quality in the brushstrokes; of the painting’s specifications, I am reliably informed that Lady Josephine Montilyet changed her mind on no less than three occasions during the dialogue process with the artist, wishing as she did to oversee the creation of a work which suitably paid tribute to the Inquisitor. Purportedly the Lady was so pleased with the final result that she parted with an additional full fifth of its worth on top of the price originally agreed (along with an eloquently-penned apology and enclosed box of choice Orlesian frilly cakes). The student might look upon this portrait and be critical of its subsequent feel, which has been described as incomplete. However, in private parlors and drawing rooms across the south, this aspect is held up as reflecting the fact that for the elven woman who shook Thedas, and saved all among us from the sky’s anger, hers is a tale yet unfinished.

-- An excerpt from The Dragon Age: Commentaries on Contemporary Art, Volume III by Arnaude-Pierre de Verley

SURPRISE!! @roseategales ✨

We worked together in secret to make and put this together for you of your OC, the lovely Eludysia Adhlea Lavellan.  🎨 📖  We hope you like it and that it does ‘dysia justice :)

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this is really good. really important. Thank you Incaensor