An Examination Of Edward Poynter’s Painting Orpheus And Eurydice 3b5z

AN EXAMINATION OF EDWARD POYNTER’S PAINTING, ORPHEUS AND EURYDICE

A. D. M. ARS 394: Greek Myth in Western Art March 20, 2017

1 Edward Poynter’s painting of Orpheus and Eurydice was produced in 1862, and is an excellent example of a painting that portrays a less popular moment of the myth. In Ovid’s telling of the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, the story begins directly after Eurydice is bitten and killed by a serpent, leaving Orpheus alone and mourning. He makes his way down into Hades and plays a song on his lyre pleading to Pluto and Persephone to return Eurydice to him. He argues in his song that Eurydice was too young to have died so soon, and their love too young to be cut short. His song is so beautiful that everyone in Hades is moved to tears and Eurydice is returned to him under the condition that until they were both back in the upper world, Orpheus cannot look back at Eurydice or she must remain in the underworld. Unfortunately, after not being able to hear or see if she is there, Orpheus cannot help but look back at Eurydice. She is swept back to the underworld leaving Orpheus again alone and distraught for he knows he cannot ask for her again.1 When looking at the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice portrayed in western art, the most popular moment to illustrate for most artists is the moment when Eurydice is taken from Orpheus at the mouth of the underworld. It is a scene that offers high drama and the potential for the artist to show their ability to convey the movement and tension of Eurydice being torn from Orpheus’ arms. Another popular point in the myth seems to be the moment when Orpheus and Eurydice begin their journey out of hell and are leaving the throne room of Pluto and Persephone. Poynter chose to illustrate a scene set between these two events, showing Orpheus and Eurydice in the middle of their journey, which seems an odd choice to focus on (see figure 1). Because Poynter was classically well educated, he may have chosen a less dramatically involved point in the myth so that he might focus more on subtler symbolism. 2 The painting shows Orpheus and Eurydice trekking up hill through a dark and desolate mountain . They are ing from left to right through the framing and from their stances and by the way their clothes billow about them, they are clearly fighting very strong winds while serpents are menacingly at their heels. Orpheus leads Eurydice while carrying a very large and ornate lyre, which has one red string towards the middle (see figure 2). Eurydice wears white with a green sash, and she too has a red string that seems cut and attached 1 Ovid. Metamorphoses. Translated by A. D. Melville. Oxford, NY: Oxford World’s Classics, 1986. Book X (PP. 225- 228) 2 Dafforne, John. "The Works of Edward J. Poynter, R.A." The Art Journal (1875-1887), New Series, 3 (1877): 49-51. doi:10.2307/20569021.

2 to her waist (see figure 3). These red strings could represent the string of life that is woven by the fates; Orpheus being alive and well is shown with his string still taught and in tact. Eurydice’s string seems cut, loose and blowing in the wind, showing that she is past, her life is cut short and will remain that way. The scenery is rather reminiscent of Gustave Dore’s illustration plate number 14 of Dante’s Inferno (see figure 4), that portrays when Dante and Virgil are in the second circle of hell and witness the carnal sinners lost in dark torrential winds for all eternity. 3 In both pieces the wind powerfully rushes through a mountainous region of stark and jagged peaks. This could be deliberate to show that despite the hurricane winds meant to torture lustful sinners whipping at their clothes, they are able to make their way through the second circle because their love is pure and righteous. This could be Poynter’s reason for choosing a seemingly odd moment in the myth. This point could possibly be further reinforced by the appearance of Eurydice. With her white robes and her sash billowing out behind her, she almost appears as though she has wings, giving her the look of an angel. While the snakes that seemingly bite at their heels are an obvious allusion to the means of Eurydice’s death, their direction of travel seems as though it could possibly be significant. When one looks at other paintings portraying Orpheus and Eurydice, they are often going from left to right, as can also be seen in Eurydice hurried back to the infernal regions by Henry Thomson (see figure 5) and in Orpheus and Eurydice by Jean Raoux (see figure 6). As one would read a book from left to right, the story progresses across the canvas from left to right until of Eurydice is pulled backwards to the under world, leaving Orpheus back where he started, a young widower who lost his love too soon.

3 Dante. Inferno. Translated by Henry Francis Cary. New York, NY: Paddington Press LTD, 1976. Canto V (PP. 23- 28)

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Bibliography: Ovid. Metamorphoses. Translated by A. D. Melville. Oxford, NY: Oxford World’s Classics, 1986. Book X (PP. 225- 228) Dante. Inferno. Translated by Henry Francis Cary. New York, NY: Paddington Press LTD, 1976. Canto V (PP. 23- 28) Dafforne, John. "The Works of Edward J. Poynter, R.A." The Art Journal (1875-1887), New Series, 3 (1877): 49-51. doi:10.2307/20569021.

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Figure 1 Orpheus and Eurydice Edward Poynter 1862

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Figure 2 Orpheus and Eurydice detail of Orpheus Edward Poynter 1862

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Figure 3 Orpheus and Eurydice detail of Eurydice Edward Poynter 1862

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Figure 4 Inferno Plate 14, The souls of the lustful in the infernal hurricane Gustave Dore 1857

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Figure 5 Eurydice hurried back to the infernal regions Henry Thomson 1814

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Figure 6 Orpheus and Eurydice Jean Raoux 1709