Artists overlooked in their own time have belatedly found their place in the canon. That is not to say that Hylas and the Nymphs should not be on show, but, rather, to suggest that the way we look at art is a dynamic process. As a stimulus for debate, last week’s removal of John William Waterhouse’s Hylas and the Nymphs from the walls of the Manchester Art Gallery certainly did the trick. If Waterhouse’s image of a youth surrounded by naked young women was to be taken down, where would it end? Hylas is the most famous of his beloveds, but by no means the only one. Would all our museums and galleries be dismantled, their “offensive” works, aka most Old Masters, locked away from the gaze of the public? The painting depicts a moment from the Greek and Roman legend of the tragic youth Hylas, based on accounts by Ovid and other ancient writers, in which the enraptured Hylas is abducted by Naiads (female water nymphs) while seeking drinking water. He is bending down beside a pond in a glade of lush green foliage, reaching out towards seven young women, the water nymphs, who are emerging from the pond among the leaves and flowers of Nymphaeaceae (water lilies), including an early depiction of the yellow waterlily, Nuphar lutea. "It's been clear that many people feel very strongly about the issues raised," stated the council in the announcement. Sometimes work valued in one period has lost currency in another. One of the nymphs holds his wrist and elbow, a second plucks at his tunic, and a third holds out some pearls in the palm of her hand. He found a pond occupied by Naiads, and they lured Hylas into the water and he disappeared. It has continued to be represented in art and in story (though there have DEFINITELY been some changes made to make it fit into the new cultures), but it was also super important in ancient Greece, where sacrifices were made in a festival in his honor. The painting Hylas and the Nymphs was acquired from the artist by the Manchester Art Gallery in 1896. While searching for water with a pitcher of bronze in his hand, Hylas came to the spring called Pegae. And if you have read about the nymphs, then you know, this is NOT a good situation our young man is walking into. After Hercules killed Hylas's father, Hylas became a companion of Hercules and later his lover. [2][4], A "strong backlash" followed the decision. It depicts Hylas, a male youth in classical garb, wearing a blue tunic with a red sash, and bearing a wide-necked water jar. It has continued to be represented in art and in story (though there have DEFINITELY been some changes made to make it fit into the new cultures), but it was also super important in ancient Greece, where sacrifices were made in a festival in his honor. After one week, the Manchester City Council, which runs the gallery, decided the painting should return to the wall. Heracles and his lover, the young Hylas, are among the Argonauts, the heroes intent on stealing the Golden Fleece. Hylas was the son of King Theiodamas of the Dryopians. There is a tragic homoerotic story latent in the work, for Theocritus tells how Heracles deserts the Argonauts to wander the land, seeking his lover. The painting measures 98.2 by 163.3 centimetres (38.7 in × 64.3 in). Taking down a Waterhouse for a week need not send anyone to the barricades. A critical, self-reflective, open-eyed relationship with the past is a good thing (just as denying, or attempting to tidy up the past, is a bad thing). Hylas is being enticed to enter the water, from which he will not return. It was a clumsy gesture by Manchester Art Gallery, perhaps. Standards and tastes constantly change. Hylas and the Nymphs The story isn't long, but it does seem important. It does not even mean that he was bi. You already know what happens next, but I'll spin in out all poetic like. His man, of course, was Herakles. Hylas and the Nymphs, by John William Waterhouse 1896 As they reached ashore Cios in Mysia, Hylas was sent to fetch water for preparation of the evening meal. En route to Colchis, while their ship is moored, Hylas goes inland for water. During the journey, Hylas was sent to find fresh water. Said nymph may appear delicate, but she is super powerful compared to this dude, and no good can come from relationships where women hold more power than men - at least not in ancient Greek mythology. These terms did not even exist. Truly, our source must have been a mouse watching from land, because the story ends there. They both became Argonauts, accompanying Jason in his quest on his ship Argo in seeking the Golden Fleece. So it would make sense that Hylas (the beloved and "passive" partner) would be getting water to make something nice before Herakles got back to camp. [6], "Gallery denies censorship after removing Victorian nymphs painting", "Men Only: Inside the charity fundraiser where hostesses are put on show", "Gallery removes naked nymphs painting to 'prompt conversation, "Letters: Hylas and the Nymphs and sexual awakening", "Victorian nymphs painting back on display after censorship row", The Unwelcome Companion: A Street Scene in Cairo, I Am Half-Sick of Shadows, Said the Lady of Shalott, Louisa Beresford, Marchioness of Waterford, A Converted British Family Sheltering a Christian Missionary from the Persecution of the Druids, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hylas_and_the_Nymphs_(painting)&oldid=973419339, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 17 August 2020, at 03:23. Rituals were done in his name. [3] She denied the removal constituted any form of censorship, stating, "we want to see this as the start of a process, not an end point," and providing visitors with Post-It notes to air their views; meantime, postcards of the painting were removed from the gift shop. Now, we should sidenote here that Herakles definitely liked a sexy youth or two. Enjoy. The women are the predators, not Hylas. In January 2018, Manchester Art Gallery curator Clare Gannaway temporarily removed the painting from public display, after a decision "taken by gallery staff [along] with artist Sonia Boyce. But, unfortunately for him, he was deep in Pegae territory. "[2] The decision, the curator stated, was "influenced by recent movements against the objectification and exploitation of women" such as the MeToo campaign and the Presidents Club controversy. At the same time, the painting clearly invites the viewer to enjoy the nymphs’ naked breasts, while betraying more than a little anxiety about female sexuality. The story isn't long, but it does seem important. Its banishment was regarded as dangerous political correctness, and the thin end of the wedge. Hylas's position forces the viewer's focus onto the nymphs in the water and the lack of reference to his relationship with Hercules emphasizes that the narrative of the painting is not about the Hylas narrative, but about the sinister nature of the nymphs. It was exhibited at the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition in 1897. Hylas and the Nymphs is an 1896 oil painting by John William Waterhouse. Finding a spring, he plunges his pitcher into the water – but nymphs, desiring the young man, grab hold of his arm, dragging him under. Removing Waterhouse’s painting from view in the Manchester Art Gallery may have been a clumsy gesture – but it stimulated an important debate, Last modified on Thu 22 Feb 2018 12.05 EST. The face of Hylas in profile is shadowed and barely visible, but the faces of the nymphs are clearly visible as they gaze upon him. Hylas and the Nymphs by John William Waterhouse (1896). William Etty, Young Hylas with the Water Nymphs, 1833, Waterhouse, A Naiad or Hylas with a Nymph, 1893, Henrietta Rae, Hylas and the Water Nymphs, 1910. After its exile to the museum store hit the news, the air became thick with protest and cries of “censorship”. The nymphs are naked, their alabaster skin luminous in the dark but clear water, with yellow and white flowers in their auburn hair. And as his arm went into the water, her arm came out and wrapped around his neck, pulling him closer for a kiss. Its removal was part of a project by artist Sonia Boyce, an exhibition of whose work opens at the museum in March. The painting depicts a moment from the Greek and Roman legend of the tragic youth Hylas, based on accounts by Ovid and other ancient writers, in which the enraptured Hylas is abducted by Naiads (female water nymphs) while seeking drinking water. But one that was neither repressive nor merely a stunt. The story of Hylas is told by Theocritus, Apollonius of Rhodes and Propertius, among others. Hylas and the Nymphs is an 1896 oil painting by John William Waterhouse. Sure, Herakles searched the island for a long time, but eventually, the crew of the Argo gave up and continued their quest without him. The painting itself, first shown in 1896, deserves more attention. Some of Waterhouse's preparatory sketches are in the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford. His poem "Hercules and Hylas" was published by Francis Burdett Thomas Coutts-Nevill in 1896. They have very similar physical features, perhaps based on just two models. The action had arisen from discussions between the artist and staff about power and taste, about who decides what is seen and not seen on the walls of museums and galleries. If you are like me, you will want to know more about gender and sexual relationships now.