March 20, 2009

Yeeeeeeeeah! One more term paper out of the way

So on Monday I handed in my term paper for Art History! I was super stoked on this paper because we got to chose any work of art after 1400 that wasn't in our text book. Oh the choices! I pretty much could have written at least 5 or 6 different papers but instead just worked my ass off on one. I chose to do a painting by John William Waterhouse, a late Victorian Romantic painter who fuses classical style with pre-raphaelites style. The work Hylas and The Nymphs is pretty damn badass if I do say so myself.
Hylas, who hung out with the most well known hero in Greek mythology Hercules (after killing Hylas's father he took the boy in as his own son and lover), was sent to grab some fresh water while stopped on an island. Hylas, who was young, hot, and had a bangin bod, caught the attention of a group of water nymphs. They were so intrigued by his beauty that they wanted him for themselves and dragged the poor kid into the water where they drowned him.
Waterhouse loved to paint femme fatales and he really had a knack for it. Even though we know what's about to happen, that these nymphs are about to take a life, you can't bring yourself to blame them for it. There is an innocence in their eyes that makes you think they can't help what their about to do and almost regret it. Damn I could go on forever about this work (I already did for 4 pages) but I'll try to cut it short. All in all I love the mystical feel the work has and dig Waterhouse's style. Enjoy!
Peace xox

2 comments:

  1. This painting is sweet. You're so all about the mermaids. . .essentially they are like mermaids are they not? But yes I like the nymph that looks like she's scratching her neck, she doesn't look too impressed. She's like "Umm K let's get this done already"

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  2. that is one of my all time favorite paintings.

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