The Danaïdes

John William Waterhouse, 1849-1917

1906

Oil on canvas

H 162.5 x W 127.4 cm

Collection: Aberdeen Art Gallery and Museums; accession no: ABDAG003402

Purchased with income from the Macdonald Bequest, 1927

Anthony Hobson calls this a "major work" and an "imposing group," explaining that the Danaïdes were the daughters of the King of Argos, condemned to pour water endlessly for fulfilling their father's plan, and killing their husbands on their wedding night (96-101). [Commentary continues below.]

Image reproduced (via Art UK) with thanks, under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial licence (CC BY-NC). Formatting by George P. Landow, and text added by Jacqueline Banerjee.