#danaë
The Siren (1901), by J.W. Waterhouse
Compared to “Ulysses and the Sirens” painted in 1891, the siren shown here is a much more humanlike creature. Only at the very end of her legs some scales are visible to show that she actually belongs to the sea. The shipwrecked sailor does not believe his eyes when he sees the naked figure playing the lyre, but the fear for her power prevails on his face.
This work is the last in a series where Waterhouse combined the themes of death, sex and sea. Earlier works include Circe Invidiosa (1892), Danaë (1892), The Merman (ca.1892) and A Mermaid (ca.1895).
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Danaë (1892), by J.W. Waterhouse
Only a black-and-white photo exists of this painting that was stolen out of a New York home in 1947. It would be wonderful if one day it reappeared …
The painting depicts the story of the daughter of King Acrisius. The King learned from the oracle of Delphi that if his only child would give birth to a son, the boy would later kill him. As usual in Greek mythology, prophecies come true. Danaë was locked up in a tower without doors, but that did not stop Zeus from impregnating her with a stream of golden rain. After giving birth to Perseus, Acrisius locks up both mother and son in a chest and throws it into the sea. Zeus guides the chest to shore, where it is opened by fishermen. The rest is history.
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