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

Not on display

Artist: William Etty 1787–1849
Medium: Oil paint on canvas
Dimensions: Support: 451 × 559 mm
frame: 700 × 805 × 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.

Features

MicroTate 22

Victoria Pomery , Corin Sworn , Peter Kennard and Sarah Burnage

Individual reflections on a work in the Tate collection

Explore

architecture(41,314)
- periods and styles(5,202)
- - classical(1,043)
history(5,784)
- classical(291)
- - Candaules, Nyssia and Gyges, circa 718 BC(1)
interiors(4,552)
- domestic(1,813)
- - bedroom(335)
objects(23,302)
- furnishings(3,086)
- - bed(393)
  - curtain(257)
people(35,021)
- actions: postures and motions(9,098)
- - reclining(809)
  - standing(3,134)
- actions: processes and functions(2,148)
- - looking / watching(580)
- adults(22,638)
- - man(10,387)
  - woman(9,055)
- named individuals(12,478)
- - Candaules, King of Lydia(1)
  - Gyges(1)
  - Nyssia, Queen of Lydia(1)
- nudes(2,552)
- - female(1,664)
  - male(960)
- portraits(4,294)
- - individuals: female(1,658)
  - individuals: male(1,847)
work and occupations(14,053)
- royalty and social rank(1,833)
- - king(115)
  - queen(245)

You might like

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

exhibited 1829
William Etty Youth on the Prow, and Pleasure at the Helm

1830–2, exhibited 1832
Alfred Stevens King Alfred and his Mother

c.1848
John Rogers Herbert Sir Thomas More and his Daughter

1844, exhibited 1844
William Etty Standing Female Nude

c.1835–40

On display at Tate Britain part of Walk Through British Art
William Etty The Parting of Hero and Leander

exhibited 1827
William Etty Miss Mary Arabella Jay

exhibited 1819
William Etty Britomart Redeems Faire Amoret

exhibited 1833
William Etty Female Bathers Surprised by a Swan. Verso: Terpsichore (?) with Putti

exhibited 1841
William Etty The Coral Finder: Venus and her Youthful Satellites, replica

c.1820–48
William Etty Musidora: The Bather ‘At the Doubtful Breeze Alarmed’, replica

?exhibited 1846
William Etty Christ Appearing to Mary Magdalene after the Resurrection

exhibited 1834
William Etty The Dangerous Playmate

exhibited 1833
William Etty The Saviour or the Disciple

date not known
William Etty The Lute Player

exhibited 1835

In the shop

Browse the shop