On June 23, 2021 I found myself wandering the grand halls of the Reggia di Caserta, in Italy. Can you guess which rooms were my favorite? The seasonal ones, specifically the Autumn Room! I fell in love with these frescoes as I’m totally satyr obsessed! I adore these nymphs and happy satyrs surrounded by all…
Tag: Painting
Bacchus and Ariadne on the Island of Naxos by Sébastien Bourdon
Bacchus and Ariadne on the Island of Naxos, Sébastien Bourdon (Montpellier 1616-1671 Paris) Following the death of the Minotaur and his escape from the Labyrinth, the Greek hero Theseus unceremoniously abandoned Ariadne, daughter the Cretan king, Minos, on the Greek island of Naxos. Many variations of the myth exist; in most, Ariadne is discovered soon…
Nymphs and Satyrs by George Frederic Watts
Nymphs were female deities who lived either in the waters of the earth or on land. They were immortal and were generally thought of as young, beautiful virgins. Satyrs were demigods of the land with the heads of men but with the feet and legs of goats. They were most often in the company of…
Nymphs and Satyr by William-Adolphe Bouguereau
Painted in 1873, Nymphs and Satyr is a painting of oil on canvas. A large, almost lifelike picture, it shows a group of nymphs bathing in a secluded pool. The picture shows a lustful satyr surprising the nymphs. In the painting, several of the nymphs have withdrawn into the shadows on the right. The other…
Nymph and Satyr by Konstantin Yegorovich Makovsky
Konstantin Makovsky was born in Moscow on June 20, 1839. His father was the Russian art figure and amateur painter, Yegor Ivanovich Makovsky. His mother was a composer, and she hoped her son would one day follow in her footsteps. His younger brothers Vladimir and Nikolay and his sister Alexandra also went on to become painters. In 1851 Makovsky entered the Moscow…
Bacchus Procession, Gubbio.
I visited Gubbio, Italy in November last year (2018) and spent some time in the Palazzo dei Consoli Civic Museum. The museum is impressive. It holds the Eugubine tablets, keys to deciphering the Umbrian language, and an extensive collection of archeological and religious artifacts. Tucked away in a small room in one of its many…
Satyr Watching Nymphs Dancing
Satyr watching Some Nymphs Dancing, Josep Maria Sert, 1913, Spain. Black and silver grisaille on canvas panel. This panel was part of the painted scheme that Josep María Sert produced for the decoration of Kent House owned by Sir Saxton Noble in Knightsbridge, London. It forms a pair with Apollo flying through the Clouds, also in the Colección…
Venus and Satyr with Two Cupids
Venus and Satyr with Two Cupids is a painting by Annibale Carracci. The work is also known as La Baccante. Given the explicit sensuality of the painting, due to the nudity of the goddess, whose buttocks are exposed, a clear sexual allusion was seen in the work, further emphasized by the contrast between the opulent and rosy forms of…
Removing a Splinter
A Satyr and Two Maenads Removing a Splinter, Claudius Carl Gustav Klingstedt, 1713, Gouache on ivory I love the fact that one of the satyrs is wearing spectacles and that two of the figures are looking straight at us. The fourth wall is broken creating an alarming composition that invites us to spy on an…
The Maenads and Satyrs of Jules Scalbert
Maenads were originally nymphs, and later human Priestesses who carried on the traditions of their Foremothers in dance, song, feasting, free sexual expression, and ritual. Jules Scalbert was a student of Isidore Pils and Henri Lehmann, both masters of 19th-century historic genre painting. Like his teachers, he was drawn to mythology, religion, and history, using…
Exploring the Myth of Jupiter and Antiope (Part III)
Antiope by Michael Field (Pseud. for Katharine Bradley and Edith Cooper) NOONTIDE’S whiteness of full sun Illumes her sleep ; Its heat is on her limbs and one White arm with sweep Of languor falls around her head : She cuddles on the lap of earth ; While almost dead Asleep, forgetful of his mirth, A…
Sleeping Diana Watched by Two Fauns
Arnold Böcklin (1877/85) The contrast between the bright luminescent Goddess of Hunting Diana, champion of chasteness, and the in part lecherous, in part fearful furry fauns watching her could hardly be greater. Their hands almost meet in the center of the canvas, but the rear faun just manages to hold back his companion in time….
Sala di Amore e Psiche
Giulio Romano (1524) The fresco on the western side wall represents the wedding banquet to celebrate Amore and Psiche’s wedding. Satyrs and voluptuous young women join together to enjoy the party and mingle with some characters drew from Federico’s real guests. In this way, Giulio Romano is able to mirror in Apuleio’s myth the Gonzaga family and…
Exploring the Myth of Jupiter and Antiope (Part II)
Jupiter’s seduction of Antiope is a frequent theme in western painting and has been treated by Titian, Van Dyck, Watteau, and David among others. They are based on the story of the seduction of Antiope by the god Zeus in Greek mythology, later imported into Roman mythology and told of the god Jupiter. According to this…
Pagan Festivities in an Italian Garden
North Italian School, 17th century Private ownership, South Germany. The work shows Venus and Cupid with an attendant and a Satyr in a lush Italian garden. The architecture of the villa in the background of the piece is clearly inspired by the work of Andrea Palladio. The unidentified Italian creator of this painting was probably…
Frisky Satyr 