The Awakening of Adonis (1899), by J.W. WaterhouseAdonis was commissioned to the underworld by Zeus,

The Awakening of Adonis (1899), by J.W. Waterhouse

Adonis was commissioned to the underworld by Zeus, but every spring, when the anemones start to flower, he is kissed back to life by his lover Aphrodite. To the right, we see Cupid reviving the glowing torch of life and Waterhouse’s favourite birds, the pigeons also fly into the scene.

Already during his life, the painting was criticized for being too mellow and also the technique does not match Waterhouse’s usual standards.  It may have been rushed to be finished in time for the 1899 summer exhibition of the Royal Academy.  Andrew Lloyd Webber added it to his art collection in 2016.