You are right in how detailed this painter is and I like that a lot, besides her color palette that I see the use in most of these paintings of warm colors. At least I feel that way in this sample that you bring us, since I did not know her, the artist, until now. "Daughter Of The Sea" is also my favorite for obvious reasons. Who knows me knows that I love the sea. And in this case I see some very nice transparencies that effectively relate the girl to that environment.
I wanted to comment that art is appreciated in many ways, but especially those people who have a broad cultural background can enjoy it more. That is my criterion. I am not saying that it is not enjoyable for people who lack it, but it is that artists often rely on historical themes -as you rightly say- for their creation or are inspired by other artists... and an experienced eye can discover these references or at least intuit them.
You most likely are right about appreciating art. I've had a lot of art posts and many had commented that they don't understand art. I think understanding art comes in time, and as you say, you need to have some knowledge as well.
However, it's never too late to start studying and visiting exhibitions. "Daughter Of The Sea" is a good choice, I'm glad you like it :)