YOU CAN LEAD A SATYR TO WATER... : Nymphs and Satyr by William-Adolphe Bouguereau

NYMPHS AND SATYR by William-Adolphe Bouguereau, 1873, Oil on canvas, 260 cm × 180 cm (100 in × 71 in)

THIS PAINTING IN AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE AS A HANDMADE OIL REPRODUCTION FROM 1ST ART GALLERY:

ABOUT THIS PAINTING: This painting, entitled “Nymphs and Satyr,” is one of those guilty Victorian pleasures, a painting that walks the precarious line between the prurient and fine arts. The artist is the 19th century classical painter William Adolphe Bouguereau, whose idealized depictions of women and children illustrated literary, religious, and mythological subjects. Though he’s most often associated with his realistic paintings of the female form.
According to Greek legend nymphs were minor female deities, living in streams or woods, and depicted as young, and graceful maidens. Though not considered sexual creatures, their innocence and beauty could spark amorous feelings in mortal men.
By contrast, satyrs, a mythological creature, half-man, half-goat were all-consumed lovers of wine, women and song, and generally shown sporting an erection. Lascivious, rude and ribald, their favorite pastime is cavorting with nymphs.
However, Bouguereau’s painting puts a humorous twist on the story, making the nymphs the aggressors, surrounding and overpowering the satyr and attempting to pull him into the pond. Did I mention? Satyr’s are deathly afraid of water.
The arrangement of the nymphs creates their great compositional hook, that leads the eye in this circular pattern. It reminds one of Matisse’s lyrical painting, The Dance.
For many years it hung in the bar at the famous Hoffman House Hotel in New York City. It was later purchased in 1901, and stored in a warehouse for the next 41 years, where the owner hoped to keep this “offensive work” out of the public view. It was eventually acquired by the Clark Art Institute where it resides today.
In its time this work was viewed as having heavy sexual overtones. Today we consider it playfully naughty.

Paintings,Art,Oil Paintings,Reproductions,Handmade Oil Paintings,Oil Painting Reproductions,Painting Analysis,Artist,Gallery,Handmade,Gift,1st-Art-Gallery,Painting Timelapse,Artists,William-Adolphe Bouguereau,Nymphs,Satyr,Clark Art Institute,Hoffman House Hotel,mythology,