Bold truth: love can burn so fiercely it defies time, even as light and life wane around it.
The piece Burton created with gouache—a water-soluble paint famed for its vivid, saturated colors—embodies this idea. Gouache’s brightness, however, comes with a caveat: it is light-sensitive and gradually fades when exposed to direct sunlight or strong UV light. Because the painting is so fragile, the gallery has put in place careful protective measures to preserve its appearance for future generations. Viewers are limited to two hours of viewing per week; the lighting is deliberately kept dim to prevent overexposure; and after viewing, a staff member gently returns the work to a purpose-built cabinet, treated with a reverent routine that mirrors the painting’s own emotional gravity.
In The Meeting on the Turret Stairs, Hildebrand stands on the edge of death, yet in this single moment he is utterly united with her—she is his, and he is hers, for as long as the memory of that kiss endures.
The work, in both its form and its feeling, demonstrates the boundless force of love. George Eliot was particularly moved by Hildebrand’s expression, calling the kiss a sacrament and describing the prince as a man to whom the kiss itself is sacred. The scene captures not just romance but a dramatic tension—the moment before a final separation—that heightens the emotional charge of the painting.
Despite the delicate nature of the materials, the colors remain as bold today as the couple’s passion, even after more than a century and a half. Burton’s composition includes what appear to be crushed white petals near Hellelil’s left foot. Dr. Caroline Campbell, Director of the National Gallery of Ireland, explains to the BBC that white roses symbolize purity and loyalty, adding a layer of symbolic meaning to the scene.
Dr. Campbell also shares a personal connection to the work: when she first encountered it, she was struck by the dazzling blue of Hellelil’s dress, the intensity of the moment, and the sense that Hildebrand’s kiss targets Hellelil’s arm rather than her lips—an act that seems to be driven by the overwhelming emotion she feels. She notes the theatrical moment of waiting for the cabinet to be opened and the dramatic reveal when she first saw the true watercolour in person, a moment that transformed her understanding of the painting’s material beauty and emotional impact.
But here’s where it gets controversial: some viewers argue that the painting’s emphasis on dramatic romance idealizes a relationship at the cost of realism, while others insist the work captures a universal truth about how love can illuminate, even at the brink of tragedy. And this is the part most people miss—the way the painting uses light, color, and composition to fuse longing with impending loss, inviting viewers to reflect on their own experiences of devotion and sacrifice.
Would you agree that The Meeting on the Turret Stairs conveys an eternal, almost sacramental moment of love, or do you see it as an exaggerated, theatrical portrayal that obscures the complexities of real affection? Share your perspective in the comments.
