Nymphs Finding the Head of Orpheus (1900), by J.W. WaterhouseOrpheus played the lyre (small harp) wi

Nymphs Finding the Head of Orpheus (1900), by J.W. Waterhouse

Orpheus played the lyre (small harp) with such skill and passion that he inspired even animals, trees and rocks.  However, when he tried to revive his beloved wife Eurydice from the underworld, the helpers of Dionysus got so tired of his music that they killed him and threw his head and lyre into the river.  The story is symbolizing the purity of art in a wretched society.

The two nymphs are the focal point of this painting.  Their pale flesh stands out against the dark colours in the background. Only when one follows their line of sight, the head of Orpheus reveals itself in the water, next to a small waterlily. This is a trick Waterhouse used to avoid too much drama.  The painting was displayed on the Royal Academy and sold to Alexander Henderson in 1901.