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The Fisherman and the Syren

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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
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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
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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
566: 200:, which was painted for Signor Mario, the famous singer, initially received little friendly criticism, and the reception was generally lukewarm. However, a positive review appeared in 843: 104:, first exhibited in 1858. It is a composition of two small full-length figures, a mermaid clasping a fisherman round the neck. The picture is in the collection of the 429: 418: 409: 396: 504: 440: 823: 848: 163:. In 1861, in a letter to his father, Leighton explained that the picture was "as little naturalistic as anything could be". 742: 117:
being cast aside upon the grey rocks. The nymph is nude and blonde; her long, wavy brown hair is laced with pearls.
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The picture is not of any commanding size, nor does it relate any very exciting legend. The story is of the mystic
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The picture was shown again in the 1897 retrospective exhibition of Leighton's art. It was first entitled
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The County Paris, accompanied by Friar Lawrence, comes to the house of the Capulets to claim his bride
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66.3 cm × 48.7 cm (26.1 in × 19.2 in)
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The Syracusan Bride leading Wild Animals in Procession to the Temple of Diana
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The Life, Letters and Work of Frederic Leighton
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archetype that became popular in Victorian art, notably in the work of the
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represents that theme "quite unequivocally". Leighton here explores the
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Frederic Lord Leighton: An Illustrated Record of his Life and Work
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This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the
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This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the
444:. London: The Walter Scott Publishing Co., Ltd. pp. 53–54. 211: 460:"Exhibition of the Royal Academy [Second Notice.]" 433:. London: George Bell & Sons. pp. 16, 107, 122. 415: 412:. London: George Allen, Ruskin House. pp. 36–37, 62. 193:, both small canvases painted in Rome and in Paris. 844:Adaptations of works by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe 810: 498: 400:. London: Pavilion Books Limited. p. 10. 505: 491: 29: 181:In 1858, Leighton was represented on the 607:The Arts of Industry as Applied to Peace 170: 811: 599:The Arts of Industry as Applied to War 437: 512: 486: 426: 416:Jones, Stephen; et al. (1996). 312: 310: 287: 285: 275: 273: 271: 393: 13: 743:An Athlete Wrestling with a Python 14: 860: 307: 282: 268: 669:Crenaia, the Nymph of the Dargle 470: 446: 239:" and the "Slave;" who designed 106:Bristol Museum & Art Gallery 84:Bristol Museum & Art Gallery 381:Barrington 1906, p. 36–37. 375: 824:Paintings by Frederic Leighton 583:Actaea, the Nymph of the Shore 359: 350: 341: 332: 319: 294: 111: 1: 849:Paintings based on literature 681: 650: 635: 556: 541: 262: 51: 16:Painting by Frederic Leighton 575:Venus Disrobing for the Bath 529:Cimabue's Celebrated Madonna 419:Frederic Leighton, 1830–1896 404:Barrington, Russell (1906). 347:Barrington 1906, p. 36. 338:Barrington 1906, p. 62. 7: 537:The Fisherman and the Syren 468:. 3 May 1858. pp. 5–6. 187:The Fisherman and the Syren 176:The Fisherman and the Syren 151:The Fisherman and the Syren 140: 120:The subject is taken from " 93:The Fisherman and the Syren 24:The Fisherman and the Syren 10: 865: 787:Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood 387: 235:;" who modelled the " 166: 769: 753: 734: 520: 441:Lord Leighton of Stretton 438:Staley, Edgcumbe (1906). 79: 71: 61: 47: 37: 28: 23: 371:. 3 May 1858. p. 6. 291:Staley 1906, p. 53. 136:And never more was seen. 552:The Painter's Honeymoon 356:Rhys 1900, p. 107. 253:The Fisherman and Syren 198:Fisherman and the Syren 185:walls by two pictures: 777:Alexandra Orr (sister) 279:Rhys 1900, p. 16. 249: 241:Peter's great Basilica 178: 138: 761:Leighton House Museum 708:Perseus and Andromeda 427:Rhys, Ernest (1900). 394:Ash, Russell (1995). 316:Ash 1995, p. 10. 208: 174: 130: 792:Dorothy Dene (model) 329:. 1996, p. 122. 145:According to Jones, 782:Holland Park Circle 677:Cymon and Iphigenia 465:The Daily Telegraph 368:The Daily Telegraph 304:. 1996, p. 74. 203:The Daily Telegraph 700:The Bath of Psyche 692:Captive Andromache 591:Acme and Septimius 179: 132:Half drew she him, 806: 805: 631:Winding the Skein 514:Frederic Leighton 255:, and afterwards 237:Horned Moses 128:written in 1779: 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263:References 243:, and the 229:Monna Lisa 161:Symbolists 72:Dimensions 797:Anna Risi 716:Lachrymae 664:(1879–80) 610:(1870–72) 602:(1870–72) 532:(1853–55) 521:Paintings 829:Nude art 661:Psamathe 646:Nausicaa 141:Analysis 80:Location 799:(model) 770:Related 388:Sources 325:Jones, 300:Jones, 225:Castaly 219:'s and 167:History 754:Museum 746:(1877) 727:(1895) 719:(1895) 711:(1891) 703:(1890) 695:(1888) 672:(1880) 626:(1877) 618:(1876) 594:(1868) 586:(1868) 578:(1867) 570:(1866) 410:Vol. 2 221:Vasari 212:Undine 189:, and 126:Goethe 96:is an 62:Medium 38:Artist 327:et al 302:et al 217:Lanzi 147:et al 57:–1858 196:The 48:Year 100:by 815:: 682:c. 651:c. 636:c. 557:c. 542:c. 462:. 408:. 309:^ 284:^ 270:^ 259:. 206:: 108:. 52:c. 687:) 680:( 656:) 649:( 641:) 634:( 562:) 555:( 547:) 540:( 506:e 499:t 492:v 479:. 455:.

Index


Frederic Leighton
Oil on canvas
Bristol Museum & Art Gallery
oil painting
Frederic Leighton
Bristol Museum & Art Gallery
Der Fischer
Goethe
femme fatale
Symbolists

Royal Academy
The Daily Telegraph
Undine
Lanzi
Vasari
Castaly
Monna Lisa
Belle Gardinière
Horned Moses
Peter's great Basilica
Ghiberti Gates






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