A Court of Frost and Starlight

Artistic expression plays an important role in A Court of Frost and Starlight, particularly for Feyre. It plays a primary role for Feyre’s Healing After Trauma and Loss, as it is an emotional outlet for her. Artistic expression becomes a symbol of healing, and it is a consistent motif throughout Feyre’s part of the story. She often feels guilty over taking time to paint once she returns to her practice, but Rhys reminds her that it is not a selfish act. When they discuss her art, she admits that guilt is not the only factor in her reticence to return to painting; she is also uncertain of the emotions and images that will come out of her once she sits down in front of an easel, considering the horrors she saw in and before the war. When she finally sits down to paint, she finds that she knew all along where to begin, and she finds it healing: “A sort of quiet followed, as if it were a layer of snow blanketing the heart. Clearing away what was beneath. More cleansing, more soothing than any of the hours I’d spent rebuilding this city” (85).

Even after this painting session, Feyre struggles with continuing the practice of painting.