William Etty

Candaules, King of Lydia, Shews his Wife by Stealth to Gyges, One of his Ministers, as She Goes to Bed

exhibited 1830

Image released under Creative Commons CC-BY-NC-ND (3.0 Unported)

License this image

On loan

Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts (Kaohsiung, Taiwan): Nude: art from the Tate collection

Artist
William Etty 1787–1849
Medium
Oil paint on canvas
Dimensions
Support: 451 x 559 mm
frame: 700 x 805 x 120 mm
Collection
Tate
Acquisition
Presented by Robert Vernon 1847
Reference
N00358

Display caption

The Lydian king, Candaules, had arranged for his general, Gyges, to view his wife, Nyssia, as she undressed. The furious queen offered Gyges the choice of being executed or murdering her husband. Gyges chose the latter, and went on to marry her.Etty here subverts the language of neo-classical history painting. Instead of improving themes, Etty uses it for an erotic subject of voyeurism and vengeance. He emphasises colour and texture rather than outline, and treats physical beauty as the object of lust and deception. His picture typified the Romantic challenge to moral and pictorial conventions.

Gallery label, May 2007

Does this text contain inaccurate information or language that you feel we should improve or change? We would like to hear from you.

Romanticism

Features

Joseph Mallord William Turner, ‘The New Moon; or, ‘I’ve lost My Boat, You shan’t have Your Hoop’’ exhibited 1840

MicroTate 22

Victoria Pomery , Corin Sworn , Peter Kennard and Sarah Burnage

Individual reflections on a work in the Tate collection

Explore

You might like

William Etty, ‘Youth on the Prow, and Pleasure at the Helm’ 1830–2, exhibited 1832

William Etty Youth on the Prow, and Pleasure at the Helm

1830–2, exhibited 1832
N00356
William Etty, ‘Hero, Having Thrown herself from the Tower at the Sight of Leander Drowned, Dies on his Body’ exhibited 1829

William Etty Hero, Having Thrown herself from the Tower at the Sight of Leander Drowned, Dies on his Body

exhibited 1829
T12265
William Etty, ‘Standing Female Nude’ c.1835–40

William Etty Standing Female Nude

c.1835–40
On display at Tate Britain part of Walk Through British Art N05305
John Rogers Herbert, ‘Sir Thomas More and his Daughter’ 1844, exhibited 1844

John Rogers Herbert Sir Thomas More and his Daughter

1844, exhibited 1844
N00425
William Etty, ‘Miss Mary Arabella Jay’ exhibited 1819

William Etty Miss Mary Arabella Jay

exhibited 1819
N06268
William Etty, ‘The Parting of Hero and Leander’ exhibited 1827

William Etty The Parting of Hero and Leander

exhibited 1827
N05614
William Etty, ‘Britomart Redeems Faire Amoret’ exhibited 1833

William Etty Britomart Redeems Faire Amoret

exhibited 1833
T00199
Alfred Stevens, ‘King Alfred and his Mother’ c.1848

Alfred Stevens King Alfred and his Mother

c.1848
N01923
William Etty, ‘Female Bathers Surprised by a Swan. Verso: Terpsichore (?) with Putti’ exhibited 1841

William Etty Female Bathers Surprised by a Swan. Verso: Terpsichore (?) with Putti

exhibited 1841
N00366
William Etty, ‘The Coral Finder: Venus and her Youthful Satellites, replica’ c.1820–48

William Etty The Coral Finder: Venus and her Youthful Satellites, replica

c.1820–48
N06354
William Etty, ‘Christ Appearing to Mary Magdalene after the Resurrection’ exhibited 1834

William Etty Christ Appearing to Mary Magdalene after the Resurrection

exhibited 1834
N00362
William Etty, ‘Musidora: The Bather ‘At the Doubtful Breeze Alarmed’, replica’ ?exhibited 1846

William Etty Musidora: The Bather ‘At the Doubtful Breeze Alarmed’, replica

?exhibited 1846
N00614
William Etty, ‘The Dangerous Playmate’ exhibited 1833

William Etty The Dangerous Playmate

exhibited 1833
N00360
Charles Robert Leslie, ‘Lady Jane Grey Prevailed on to Accept the Crown’ exhibited 1827

Charles Robert Leslie Lady Jane Grey Prevailed on to Accept the Crown

exhibited 1827
N01790

William Etty The Saviour or the Disciple

date not known
N00361