A photocopy of John Collier's Sitters Book (made in 1962 from the original in the possession of the artist's son) can be consulted in the National Portrait Gallery Heinz Archive and Library. This is the artist's own handwritten record of all his portraits, including name of subject, date, fee charged, and details of any major exhibitions of the picture in question.
Lilith - is a mythological female Mesopotamian storm demon associated with wind and was thought to be a bearer of disease, illness, and death. The figure of Lilith first appeared in a class of wind and storm demons or spirits as Lilitu, in Sumer, circa 3000 BC. Many scholars place the origin of the phonetic name "Lilith" at somewhere around 700 BC.[1] Lilith appears as a night demon in Jewish lore and as a screech owl in the King James version of the Bible. She is also apocryphally the first wife of Adam.
Lilith was said to be the wife that Adam had before Eve; she is a figure of terror, feared as a demon or vampire, and a night monster. She is also known as Lamia; Keats describes her as a serpent which assumed the shape of a beautiful woman 'palpitating snake ... of dazzling hue, vermillion spotted, golden, green and blue', and it is this image which seems to have captured Collier's imagination. The subject also attracted John William Waterhouse and the Symbolists. (wiki)
I love this painting!
The novel Lilith by George MacDonald.
The story of Lilith focuses on the story of the main character Mr. Vane travels through a mirror into another land. This land is mystical and medieval, ruled over by a princess who turns out to be Lilith. In this world also exist a spieces of children who never grow old and simply turn into giants, called the Little Ones. The key to allowing the Little Ones to grow old is literally in the hand of Lilith. In her hand, which is clenched tight, is water needed for the Little Ones to grow. In order to get her to release the water, which is impossible for her to do because the hand has grown fused shut, her hand is severed and she subsquently passes on.
Most of the book is focuses on the significane maintained by the character Mr. Raven, who turns out to be the Biblical Adam, and the house he maintains where the dead lie in endless sleep until the apocalypse.
The story of Lilith focuses on the story of the main character Mr. Vane travels through a mirror into another land. This land is mystical and medieval, ruled over by a princess who turns out to be Lilith. In this world also exist a spieces of children who never grow old and simply turn into giants, called the Little Ones. The key to allowing the Little Ones to grow old is literally in the hand of Lilith. In her hand, which is clenched tight, is water needed for the Little Ones to grow. In order to get her to release the water, which is impossible for her to do because the hand has grown fused shut, her hand is severed and she subsquently passes on.
Most of the book is focuses on the significane maintained by the character Mr. Raven, who turns out to be the Biblical Adam, and the house he maintains where the dead lie in endless sleep until the apocalypse.
Although the novel is named after her, Lilith does not appear until half way through the text. Her name is first said on page 204 as Adam explains to Mr Vane why she is a villian in the text. According to him, "her first thought was power; she counted it slavery to be with me and bear children for Him" and that after had spilled her own blood, she was made queen of Hell by a force known as the Shadow (204). He also calls her the, "vilest of God's creatures." (205) The creation story of Lilith as explained in Ben Sira is used and played straight, although the escape to the dead sea is replaced with her becoming queen of Hell.
There is very little mythological connection from here on out. On page 282 Lilith is described as talking in a primitive language the narrator doesn't understand, implying her old age and on page 297 she can be heard talking about God and expressing sadness that she failed Him. However, both are very much minimally related to the mythology.
