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Hylas and the Nymphs

Salomon Gessner

1771

ink

paper

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Romanticism 18th Century

Dominant colour

Hylas and the Nymphs is a 1771 ink by Salomon Gessner, a Romanticism work, held at National Gallery of Art.

Who painted this?: Salomon Gessner
When & what style?: 1771 · Romanticism
Where can I see it?: National Gallery of Art

About this work

You see a young man named Hylas reaching for a water lily. His arm dips near six nymphs who rise from a pond. The nymphs touch him gently with wet hands. This scene comes from an old Greek myth. Hylas falls for the nymphs and never returns to his ship. Look for prints by Gessner, Salomon at the National Gallery of Art, Washington.