The Fisherman and the Syren is an oil painting by Frederic Leighton, first exhibited in 1858. It is a composition of two small full-length figures, a mermaid clasping a fisherman round the neck.[1] The picture is in the collection of the Bristol Museum & Art Gallery.
The painting is a composition of two figures with rocks and the sea. A young Sicilian fisherman slipping asleep down a rock into the tide is grasped round the neck by a water-nymph. He is swarthy in complexion, with dark curly hair, and nude save only for a crimson loin-cloth, his purple drapery being cast aside upon the grey rocks. The nymph is nude and blonde; her long, wavy brown hair is laced with pearls.[2]
The subject is taken from "Der Fischer", a ballad by Goethe written in 1779:
Half drew she him, Half sunk he in, And never more was seen.[1]
Analysisedit
According to Jones, et al., Leighton's literary pictures "suggest a preoccupation with women as destroyers", and The Fisherman and the Syren represents that theme "quite unequivocally".[3] Leighton here explores the femme fatale archetype that became popular in Victorian art, notably in the work of the Symbolists.[4] In 1861, in a letter to his father, Leighton explained that the picture was "as little naturalistic as anything could be".[5][6]
Historyedit
The Fisherman and the Syren
In 1858 Leighton was represented on the Royal Academy walls by two pictures: The Fisherman and the Syren, and The County Paris, accompanied by Friar Lawrence, comes to the house of the Capulets to claim his bride, both small canvases painted in Rome and in Paris.[7]
The Fisherman and the Syren, which was painted for Signor Mario, the famous singer, initially received little friendly criticism, and the reception was generally lukewarm.[2][8][4] However, a positive review appeared in The Daily Telegraph:
The picture is not of any commanding size, nor does it relate any very exciting legend. The story is of the mystic Undine tinge, and with a shadowy semblance in it to that strange legend, current among the peasants of Southern Russia, of the "white Lady" with the long hair, who, with loving and languishing gestures, decoys the unwary into her fantastic skiff, then, pressing her baleful lips to theirs, folds them to her fell embrace, and drags them shrieking beneath the engulphing waves. The "Fisherman and Syren" of Mr. Leighton has something of this unreal, legendary fatality pervading it throughout. There is irresistible seductiveness on the one side, pusillanimous fondness on the other. That it is all over with the Fisherman, and that the Syren will have her wicked will of him to his destruction, is palpable. But it is not alone for the admirable manner in which the story is told that we commend this picture. The drawing is eruditely correct, most graceful, and most symmetrical. The Syren is a model of form in its most charming undulations. The Fisherman is a type of manly elegance. That Mr. Leighton understands, to its remotest substructure, the vital principle of the line of beauty, is pleasurably manifest. But there is evidence here even more pleasing that the painter, in the gift of a glowing imagination, and a refined ideality, in his mastery of the nobler parts of pictorial manipulation, is worthy to be reckoned among the glorious brotherhood of disciples of the Italian masters—of the Grand Old Men whose pictures, faded and time-worn as they are, in the National Gallery hard by, laugh to scorn the futile fripperies that depend for half their sheen on gilt frames and copal varnish. This young artist is one of Lanzi's and Vasari's men. He has plainly drunk long and eagerly at the Painter's Castaly: the fount of beauty and of grace that assuaged the thirst of those who painted the "Monna Lisa" and the "Belle Gardinière;" who modelled the "Horned Moses" and the "Slave;" who designed Peter's great Basilica, and the Ghiberti Gates at Florence.[9][10]
The picture was shown again in the 1897 retrospective exhibition of Leighton's art. It was first entitled The Fisherman and Syren, and afterwards The Mermaid.[1]
Staley, Edgcumbe (1906). Lord Leighton of Stretton. London: The Walter Scott Publishing Co., Ltd. pp. 53–54. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
"Exhibition of the Royal Academy [Second Notice.]". The Daily Telegraph. 3 May 1858. pp. 5–6. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
April 18, 2024
fisherman, syren, painting, frederic, leighton, first, exhibited, 1858, composition, small, full, length, figures, mermaid, clasping, fisherman, round, neck, picture, collection, bristol, museum, gallery, artistfrederic, leightonyearc, 1856, 1858mediumoil, can. The Fisherman and the Syren is an oil painting by Frederic Leighton first exhibited in 1858 It is a composition of two small full length figures a mermaid clasping a fisherman round the neck 1 The picture is in the collection of the Bristol Museum amp Art Gallery The Fisherman and the SyrenArtistFrederic LeightonYearc 1856 1858MediumOil on canvasDimensions66 3 cm 48 7 cm 26 1 in 19 2 in LocationBristol Museum amp Art Gallery Contents 1 Description 2 Analysis 3 History 4 References 5 SourcesDescription editThe painting is a composition of two figures with rocks and the sea A young Sicilian fisherman slipping asleep down a rock into the tide is grasped round the neck by a water nymph He is swarthy in complexion with dark curly hair and nude save only for a crimson loin cloth his purple drapery being cast aside upon the grey rocks The nymph is nude and blonde her long wavy brown hair is laced with pearls 2 The subject is taken from Der Fischer a ballad by Goethe written in 1779 Half drew she him Half sunk he in And never more was seen 1 Analysis editAccording to Jones et al Leighton s literary pictures suggest a preoccupation with women as destroyers and The Fisherman and the Syren represents that theme quite unequivocally 3 Leighton here explores the femme fatale archetype that became popular in Victorian art notably in the work of the Symbolists 4 In 1861 in a letter to his father Leighton explained that the picture was as little naturalistic as anything could be 5 6 History edit nbsp The Fisherman and the SyrenIn 1858 Leighton was represented on the Royal Academy walls by two pictures The Fisherman and the Syren and The County Paris accompanied by Friar Lawrence comes to the house of the Capulets to claim his bride both small canvases painted in Rome and in Paris 7 The Fisherman and the Syren which was painted for Signor Mario the famous singer initially received little friendly criticism and the reception was generally lukewarm 2 8 4 However a positive review appeared in The Daily Telegraph The picture is not of any commanding size nor does it relate any very exciting legend The story is of the mystic Undine tinge and with a shadowy semblance in it to that strange legend current among the peasants of Southern Russia of the white Lady with the long hair who with loving and languishing gestures decoys the unwary into her fantastic skiff then pressing her baleful lips to theirs folds them to her fell embrace and drags them shrieking beneath the engulphing waves The Fisherman and Syren of Mr Leighton has something of this unreal legendary fatality pervading it throughout There is irresistible seductiveness on the one side pusillanimous fondness on the other That it is all over with the Fisherman and that the Syren will have her wicked will of him to his destruction is palpable But it is not alone for the admirable manner in which the story is told that we commend this picture The drawing is eruditely correct most graceful and most symmetrical The Syren is a model of form in its most charming undulations The Fisherman is a type of manly elegance That Mr Leighton understands to its remotest substructure the vital principle of the line of beauty is pleasurably manifest But there is evidence here even more pleasing that the painter in the gift of a glowing imagination and a refined ideality in his mastery of the nobler parts of pictorial manipulation is worthy to be reckoned among the glorious brotherhood of disciples of the Italian masters of the Grand Old Men whose pictures faded and time worn as they are in the National Gallery hard by laugh to scorn the futile fripperies that depend for half their sheen on gilt frames and copal varnish This young artist is one of Lanzi s and Vasari s men He has plainly drunk long and eagerly at the Painter s Castaly the fount of beauty and of grace that assuaged the thirst of those who painted the Monna Lisa and the Belle Gardiniere who modelled the Horned Moses and the Slave who designed Peter s great Basilica and the Ghiberti Gates at Florence 9 10 The picture was shown again in the 1897 retrospective exhibition of Leighton s art It was first entitled The Fisherman and Syren and afterwards The Mermaid 1 References edit a b c Rhys 1900 p 16 a b Staley 1906 p 53 Jones et al 1996 p 74 a b Ash 1995 p 10 Jones et al 1996 p 122 Barrington 1906 p 62 Barrington 1906 p 36 Rhys 1900 p 107 The Daily Telegraph 3 May 1858 p 6 Barrington 1906 p 36 37 Sources editAsh Russell 1995 Lord Leighton London Pavilion Books Limited p 10 Barrington Russell 1906 The Life Letters and Work of Frederic Leighton Vol 2 London George Allen Ruskin House pp 36 37 62 Jones Stephen et al 1996 Frederic Leighton 1830 1896 Royal Academy of Arts London Harry N Abrams Inc pp 74 110 122 165 Rhys Ernest 1900 Frederic Lord Leighton An Illustrated Record of his Life and Work London George Bell amp Sons pp 16 107 122 Staley Edgcumbe 1906 Lord Leighton of Stretton London The Walter Scott Publishing Co Ltd pp 53 54 nbsp This article incorporates text from this source which is in the public domain Exhibition of the Royal Academy Second Notice The Daily Telegraph 3 May 1858 pp 5 6 nbsp This article incorporates text from this source which is in the public domain Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title The Fisherman and the Syren amp oldid 1191935140, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
