Pre-Raphaelite Art: Maidens, Myth & Magic

"The beautiful daughter of Demeter and Zeus, Persephone is the focus of the story resulting in the division of the seasons, giving us the sweetness of Spring and the bitterness of Winter.


Afar away the light that brings cold cheer
Unto this wall, - one instant and no more
Admitted at my distant palace-door
Afar the flowers of Enna from this drear
Dire fruit, which, tasted once, must thrall me here.
Afar those skies from this Tartarean grey
That chills me: and afar how far away,
The nights that shall become the days that were.

Afar from mine own self I seem, and wing
Strange ways in thought, and listen for a sign:
And still some heart unto some soul doth pine,
O, Whose sounds mine inner sense in fain to bring,
Continually together murmuring) --
'Woe me for thee, unhappy Proserpine'.
-- D. G. Rossetti

A fool I was to sleep at noon,
And wake when night is chilly
Beneath the comfortless cold moon;
A fool to pluck my rose too soon,
A fool to snap my lily.

My garden-plot I have not kept;
Faded and all-forsaken,
I weep as I have never wept:
Oh it was summer when I slept,
It's winter now I waken.

Talk what you please of future spring
And sun-warm'd sweet to-morrow:-
Stripp'd bare of hope and everything,
No more to laugh, no more to sing,
I sit alone with sorrow.

Live all thy sweet life thro',
Sweet Rose, dew-sprent,
Drop down thine evening dew
To gather it anew
When day is bright:
I fancy thou wast meant
Chiefly to give delight.

Sing in the silent sky,
Glad soaring bird;
Sing out thy notes on high
To sunbeam straying by
Or passing cloud;
Heedless if thou art heard
Sing thy full song aloud.

Oh that it were with me
As with the flower;
Blooming on its own tree
For butterfly and bee
Its summer morns:
That I might bloom mine hour
A rose in spite of thorns.

Oh that my work were done
As birds' that soar
Rejoicing in the sun:
That when my time is run
And daylight too,
I so might rest once more
Cool with refreshing dew.

This painting is based on the myth of Cupid and Psyche. In Greek mythology, Psyche was a princess of such great beauty that people stopped worshipping Venus because of their infatuation with Psyche. It is not a good thing to anger the gods, and Venus was no exception. She determined to punish Psyche for causing this disaffection, and sent her son Cupid to cause Psyche to fall in love with the ugliest creature on earth.

However, when Cupid saw her, he fell in love and could not bring himself to inflict such a fate upon her. They became lovers, but with the caveat that Psyche could never look upon his countenance. She eventually did look on his face, causing him to flee from her.

Psyche searched far and wide for her lover, having to face various tests Venus required her to overcome to prove her worthiness. Finally, Venus devised a test she know Psyche would not be able to resist, giving her a golden box which she then forbade Psyche from opening. Just as she could not refrain from gazing upon Cupid, she also could not stop herself from opening the golden box, causing her to fall into a deep sleep of death. Jupiter eventually took pity on her and allowed the lovers to be united forever. Their union produced a daughter they named Voluptas, which means pleasure.

To learn more about this artist, visit johnwilliamwaterhouse.com , a wonderful website dedicated to the life and work of John William Waterhouse.

This painting "Gentle Spring" was inspired by the following poem written by Algernon Swinburn, a Pre-Raphaelite poet.

'O Virgin Mother! of gentle days and nights
Spring of fresh buds and Spring of soft delights,
Come, with lips kissed of many an amorous hour
Come, with hands heavy from the fervent flower
The fleet first flower that feels the wind and sighs
The tenderer leaf that draws the sun and dies!'

by Algernon Swinburn

"The Beggar Maid"
by Alfred Tennyson

Her arms across her breast she laid;
She was more fair than words can say;
Barefooted came the beggar maid
Before the king Cophetua.
In robe and crown the king stept down,
To meet and greet her on her way;
'It is no wonder,' said the lords,
'She is more beautiful than day.'

As shines the moon in clouded skies,
She in her poor attire was seen:
One praised her ankles, one her eyes,
One her dark hair and lovesome mien.
So sweet a face, such angel grace,
In all that land had never been:
Cophetua sware a royal oath:
'This beggar maid shall be my queen!'
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King Cophetua was said to have been a legendary king who showed no interest in females, until one day he saw a pale barefoot beggar-girl dressed all in grey. He fell in love with her, and raised her to be his queen.