It is I, be not Afraid

The oil painting "It Is I; Be Not Afraid", by the Pre-Raphaelite artist Francis Bernard Dicksee, features Juliet, from Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet, on her infamous balcony.

In the Romanticism style painting, Juliet is clearly looking down at Romeo and it's likely that he is telling her not to be afraid, as it's only him calling to her. The scene is clearly taking place at night, which can be seen from the dark night sky and the light coming through the balcony door. This painting was typical of his style and he often painted scenes from the historical genre, including another of Romeo and Juliet kissing on the balcony. He also worked as an illustrator for magazines and even illustrated books of Shakespeare's plays, including Othello and Romeo and Juliet.

Additionally, he painted portraits, which were usually of women. His portraits were highly detailed and finished to a high degree, which meant a lot of women wanted to be painted by him as he made them look so beautiful and elegant. This was how he made the majority of his fortune, as he was so sought after. Frank Dicksee was born into a family of artists. From a young age, he was taught by his father Thomas Francis Dicksee, alongside his sister Margaret. His brother was also a famous artist. His talent saw him being awarded a studentship at the Royal Academy school, in London, in 1870. Whilst at the Academy, he was taught by Frederick Leighton and John Everett Millais, amongst others.

Dicksee was a star student and won many accolades during his time at the Academy. His talent was recognised in 1877 when his first piece was exhibited at the Academy. It was a sketch, that he turned into an oil painting, called Harmony. It features a young lady playing the organ and was created after he was given the subject of music. The artwork was purchased by Tate Britain and can still be seen there today. He was an inspiration to many that followed him, and became elected to the Academy in 1891 and eventually was made the President in 1924. A year later, he was knighted and became Sir Francis Dicksee, a few years before his death.