Return of the Argonauts

Return of the Argonauts (1890) at the Musee Gustave Moreau depicts the conclusion of the great mythological voyage — Jason and the Argonauts returning to Greece after their quest for the Golden Fleece. The return, with the fleece secured and Medea aboard, carries the seeds of tragedy that Euripides's play would later unfold, but as a visual subject it offered Moreau the spectacle of triumphant homecoming — a richly decorated ship bearing its legendary cargo and crew into a harbor. By 1890, Moreau's late style allowed him to treat the subject with the free, atmospheric handling of his final decade, where the legendary subject is evoked through color and atmosphere rather than precise narrative detail.

The maritime subject of a ship returning to harbor requires careful handling of sea, sky, and vessel, with the legendary quality of the Argo communicated through its decorative elaboration and the extraordinary nature of its crew and cargo. Moreau's late atmospheric approach suits the legendary distance of the subject.