John William Waterhouse

British, 1849 - 1917

Hylas and the Nymphs

Date: 1896

When the ship of the Argonauts reached the island of Cios, Hylas, the young and handsome companion of Hercules, was sent ashore in search of water. He discovered a fountain, but the nymphs of the place were so enchanted by his beauty that they pulled him to the depths of their watery abode, and in spite of the cries of Hercules which made the shores reverberate with the name Hylas, the young man was never seen again.

The Magazine of Art thought this painting equalled 'the highest qualities of Sir Edward Burne-Jones at his most delightful period ... a spirit of real poetry pervades the canvas'.

The Art Journal thought it 'a combination of the better attributes and intentions of Leighton and Burne-Jones.'

The poet Ezra Pound referred to this painting as 'Foreboding in the Pool'.

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