Nymphs and Satyr (1873)
by William-Adolphe Bouguereau (French, 1825–1905)
Five nymphs have found a satyr at the edge of a forest pool and have decided, collectively, that he is going in. He is not going willingly. His hooves dig into the bank, his arms strain against their grip, his expression is somewhere between outrage and genuine alarm — because satyrs, it turns out, cannot swim, and the nymphs know this perfectly well.
William-Adolphe Bouguereau was the preeminent Academic painter of 19th-century France — technically flawless, enormously popular in his lifetime, and later dismissed by the avant-garde as the embodiment of everything they were rebelling against. History has since reconsidered. His command of the human figure, his luminous flesh tones, and his ability to make mythological scenes feel physically immediate are now recognized as extraordinary achievements on their own terms.
Nymphs and Satyr was exhibited at the Paris Salon of 1873, accompanied by a verse from the Roman poet Publius Statius that makes the satyr's predicament explicit: he fears the water, the nymphs know it, and they are delighted. The painting sold immediately and became one of the most reproduced works of the era.
Rectangle Canvas Wrap
Gallery-quality canvas with fade-resistant inks and a 1.25" deep pine frame sourced from renewable forests. Arrives wrapped and ready to hang.
- Materials: cotton and polyester composite canvas, pine wood frame
- Inner frame: radiata pine from renewable forests
- Leveling bumpers included for wall protection
- Ready to hang — mounting hardware pre-attached
Care: Dust gently with a clean, damp cloth as needed.