George Frederic Watts

Nymphs and Satyrs

c.1840

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

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Not on display

Artist
George Frederic Watts 1817–1904
Medium
Oil paint on canvas
Dimensions
Support: 298 × 349 mm
frame: 416 × 466 × 68 mm
Collection
Tate
Acquisition
Presented by Miss Lucy Jarvis 1930
Reference
N04557

Display caption

Nymphs were female deities who lived either in the waters of the earth or on land. They were immortal and were generally thought of as young, beautiful virgins. Satyrs were demigods of the land with the heads of men but with the feet and legs of goats. They were most often in the company of Bacchus, the god of wine, and were leading participants in his riotous and lascivious orgies. Here, the satyr plays his pipe for the Bacchanalian dance.

Gallery label, January 1990

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