Fine Art M.S. Rau | Italian Panel Of Eurydice With Naiads

A Fascinating Tale From Greek Mythology Is Revealed In This Extraordinary Gouache And Oil On Canvas. The Rare Italian Painting Is Believed To Depict A Scene From The Myth Of Orpheus And Eurydice. One Of The Most Tragic Figures In Greek Mythology, The Nymph Eurydice Was One Of The Daughters Of The God Apollo. According To Legend, She Wed Orpheus, The Legendary Musician And Hero Who Was The Son Of The Muse Calliope. She Is Captured Here On The Day Of Her Wedding, Joyfully Dancing With The Naiads In A Vast Field, Though Their Severe Expressions Reveal The Tragedy That Is About To Befall Her.

Shortly After Eurydice’S Dance With The Naiads, She Was Set Upon By A Satyr; In Her Efforts To Escape, She Was Bitten On The Foot By A Poisonous Snake And Died. Overcome By Grief, Orpheus Traveled To The Underworld With His Lyre In Order To Appeal To Hades And Persephone To Return His Wife. Hearts Softened By His Song, They Agreed To Allow Eurydice To Return To Earth, On The Condition That He Not Turn To Look At Her Until They Escaped The Underworld. Tragically, Orpheus Was Unable To Comply With This Condition – He Turned Back To Catch A Glimpse Of Her, And His Wife Vanished Forever.

One Of The Most Popular Of The Greek Myths, Orpheus And Eurydice’S Story Is Brilliantly Recreated In This Gouache And Oil On Canvas. Likely Once Displayed In The Music Room Of An Italian Villa, It Is An Exceptional Example Of Its Genre.

Circa 1800

Canvas: 31 1/2″ High X 48″ Wide
Frame: 52 1/4″ Wide X 36″ High