Nymphs and Satyrs

Watts painted 'Nymphs and Satyrs' in 1840, one of his earliest major canvases and a demonstration of his ambitions in classical mythological subject matter from the very outset of his career. The subject — woodland nymphs confronted or pursued by satyrs — belonged to the long tradition of Bacchic mythology in European painting, providing an opportunity to paint the nude in a classically sanctioned context. For the young Watts, who had received limited formal training but possessed extraordinary natural talent and serious scholarly interests, the choice of such a subject was a declaration of intent: he would pursue the grand tradition of European history painting rather than the comfortable territory of portraiture and genre. The Tate's canvas preserves this early ambition in its full confidence. The subject also allowed Watts to study the interaction of multiple figures in outdoor light — a compositional challenge that would occupy him throughout his career.

The 1840 oil on canvas shows a young artist working through the influence of both academic British painting and the Venetian and Roman masters whose work he knew from reproductions and early study trips. The modelling of nude figures already demonstrates the sculptural ambition that would define his mature style, though the handling is more conventionally academic than his later atmospheric work.