“Waterhouse’s title is loosely derived from Chaucer’s dream poem, Romaunt of the Rose, itself adapted from the 13th-century French romance: Roman de la Rose by Guillaume de Lorris. The narrator embarks on a pilgrimage with the god of love, who leads him to a rose symbolizing perfect love. The poem had been treated by Waterhouse’s … Continue reading John William Waterhouse: The Soul of the Rose