Framed The Meeting on the Turret Stairs by Frederick William Burton

The Meeting on the Turret Stairs by Frederick William Burton is one of the most beloved works in the National Gallery of Ireland and is often described as Ireland’s favorite painting. Burton paints a jewel-like watercolor that captures a fleeting, forbidden moment of love. Based on a medieval Danish ballad, it shows the knight Hellelil turning away as her lover Hildebrand grasps her arm in a final, desperate embrace on a narrow staircase. Burton’s delicate detail, rich colors, and Pre-Raphaelite influence heighten the emotional tension, evoking longing, restraint, and the poignancy of a love that must be renounced.