#phyllis
Phyllis and Demophoön (1905), by J.W. Waterhouse
Princess Phyllis was turned into an almond tree by the gods to punish Demophoön, who had broken his vow to marry her. Full of remorse, Demophoön caresses the tree that immediately starts to flower. Because Phyllis forgives him, their souls are reunited, but she does not regain her human body so their love remains spiritual.
Waterhouse had used the theme of bodies transforming into trees earlier in “A Hamadryad” (1893) and he will use it again in “Apollo and Daphne” (1908). The work was originally bought by the Henderson family, but its location was unknown for a long time, until it recently reappeared in a private collection.
Post link
Look what happened on my explore page today!
Aquamanile in the form of Aristotle and Phyllis, Southern Netherlands, c. late 14th-early 15th Century
An aquamanile is a vessel for pouring water used in the ritual of washing hands in both religious and secular contexts—by the priest before Mass and in a private household before a meal. The subject of this celebrated example is the moralizing legend of Aristotle and Phyllis, which achieved popularity in the late Middle Ages. Aristotle, the Greek philosopher and tutor of Alexander the Great, allowed himself to be humiliated by the seductive Phyllis as a lesson to the young ruler, who had succumbed to her wiles and neglected the affairs of state. Encouraging Alexander to witness his folly, Aristotle explained that if he, an old man, could be so easily deceived, the potential consequences for a young man were even more perilous. The ribald subject indicates that this aquamanile was made for a domestic setting, where it would have doubled as an object of entertainment for guests at the table.
Post link
hey mothcub, that would look real lovely on a shirt uwu
edit: I didnt mean for the flower to go AAAAAAAA Im just sleepy and didnt notice my sloppy Ms looked like that 8w8
Post link
