Why it matters
Seeking water, the young Argonaut Hylas bends down to a pond among water lilies, where seven naked nymphs gently draw him in, never to return. Waterhouse painted the scene in 1896, based on accounts by Ovid and other ancient writers.
Did you know?
- The nymphs look very alike and may have been based on just two models.
- One nymph holds out pearls in the palm of her hand.
- The picture includes an early depiction of the yellow water lily.
- No sky is visible: we look down at the water like Hylas.
Based on the Wikipedia article Hylas and the Nymphs (painting) (CC BY-SA 4.0).
