The Oceanids (The Naiads of the Sea)

The subject of The Oceanids (The Naiads of the Sea) is from the ancient Greek tragedy Prometheus Bound, traditionally attributed to Aeschylus.The nude Oceanids lie on the rock or in the water in contorted positions; a group of them circle in the sky on the right side of the picture.Peter Nahum and Sally Burgess complimented Gustave Doré's chiaroscuro in The Oceanids and wrote that the painting reveals his interest in how mythology relates to life and death; they described his work as crucial in the connection between romanticism and symbolism.[2] Robert Rosenblum wrote that The Oceanids transfers the "menacing, primeval nature" and "apocalyptic mood" of Doré's prints to painted canvas.[3] The Oceanids first belonged to Adèle Cassin (1831–1921), a wealthy woman who hosted dinners for distinguished men and sometimes invited Doré.
Gustave DoréOil on canvasFrenchOceanidsGreek mythologyPrometheusPrometheus BoundAeschylusnymphsstole firePeter NahumchiaroscuroromanticismsymbolismRobert RosenblumArnold Böcklinde ChiricoGalerie Georges PetitDorothea TanningPrometheus Bound (Rubens)Prometheus Bound (Thomas Cole)Kent Fine ArtNahum, PeterPeter Nahum at the Leicester GalleriesRosenblum, RobertThe EnigmaChrist Leaving the PraetoriumThe AcrobatsThe Beggars of BurgosThe Valley of TearsLe Poème de la VigneLa Grande Bible de ToursWilliam Blanchard JerroldPrisoners' Round (after Gustave Doré)