John William Waterhouse

victorian-era

Waterhouse Paintings 1849 - 1917 Painter, England, Victorian Romanticism

The Siren, c.1900

Oil on canvas

Private collection

Mythological Art

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OIL PAINTING: The Siren, c.1900
Waterhouse paints The Siren gazing regretfully at the drowning sailor she has drawn to his doom through her beautiful music. 'The sea-nymphs chant their accents shrill; And the Sirens, taught to kill With their sweet voice, Make every echoing rock reply, Unto their gentle murmuring noise'. Thomas Campion (1567-1620), 'In Praise of Neptune' A siren in Greek mythology was a creature half bird and half woman who lured sailors to destruction by the sweetness of her song. According to Homer there were two Sirens on an island in the western sea between Aeaea and the rocks of Scylla. Later the number was usually increased to three, and they were located on the west coast of Italy, near Naples. They were variously said to be the daughters of the sea god Phorcys or of the river god Achelous.