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Sabrina and Her Nymphs
William Etty·1841
Historical Context
Sabrina and Her Nymphs, painted in 1841 and now in Leicester Museum and Art Gallery, illustrates an episode from Milton's Comus — the water nymph Sabrina rising from the River Severn to rescue the enchanted Lady. Milton provided British painters with literary subjects that sanctioned the display of mythological nudity within a national literary tradition. Etty's treatment combines multiple nude figures in a watery landscape with the warm, luminous palette that was his signature. Leicester Museum's Victorian collection includes British academic paintings that reflect the cultural aspirations of the East Midlands industrial cities during the nineteenth century.
Technical Analysis
Multiple nude figures are arranged in a frieze-like composition, with Etty's characteristic warm flesh tones set against cool greens and blues of the riverine landscape.
Look Closer
- ◆Notice the multiple nude figures arranged in a frieze-like composition — Sabrina and her nymphs from Milton's Comus, the water nymph rising from the River Severn.
- ◆Look at the warm flesh tones set against cool greens and blues of the riverine landscape in this 1841 Leicester Museum painting.
- ◆Observe Milton providing Etty with a literary subject sanctioning the display of nude female figures in a dramatic rescue narrative.
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