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Hylas and the Nymphs
John William Waterhouse · Symbolism & Art Nouveau
- Artist
- John William Waterhouse (1849–1917)
- Date
- 1896
- Dimensions
- 132.1 x 197.5 cm
- Medium
- Oil on canvas
- Location
- Manchester Art Gallery, Manchester, United Kingdom
Hylas and the Nymphs illustrates a Greek myth: Hylas, a young companion of Heracles on the voyage of the Argonauts, goes to fetch water at a pool and is lured into it by water nymphs, never to be seen again.
A closer look
Seven pale nymphs rise from the dark water among water lilies, their long auburn hair and identical faces giving them an eerie, dreamlike beauty. One holds Hylas by the arm, another offers pearls; their gaze is fixed on him. Hylas, in a blue tunic, bends towards them with his water jug, unaware of his fate. Waterhouse painted the leaves, lily pads and reflections with great care. Beauty and danger meet: the scene expresses a typical late-Victorian fascination with seductive, fatal women.
