I photographed this scene of Orpheus at the Musée des Beaux-Arts in Rouen and was immediately struck by the contrast between this beautiful classical sculpture in white marble (Orpheus Wooing the Mermaid by Emmanuel Hannaux, 1855–1934; find out how Orpheus dealt with the Sirens here) and the bold striped background in blue and black.
About Orpheus
Orpheus (Ὀρφεύς) is a hero of Greek mythology, son of Oeagrus, King of Thrace, and the muse Calliope. A poet and musician, he was sometimes regarded as a prophet.From an early age, Orpheus showed a remarkable gift for poetry and music. Apollo gave him a seven-stringed lyre created by Hermes, and the Muses themselves taught him how to play it. In their honour, he decided to add two further strings. His music was so powerful that wild beasts would follow in his wake, trees would lean towards him, and even the most fearsome of men would be softened by the sound.
The myth
The most celebrated myth associated with Orpheus is his descent into the Underworld. His wife Eurydice, a Nymph, died after treading on a serpent whilst fleeing from Aristaeus. Orpheus, inconsolable, descended into Hades to bring her back. With the power of his lyre, he charmed the monsters and gods of the Underworld alike. Hades agreed to release Eurydice on one condition: that Orpheus would not look back until they had left his realm. As he was about to emerge from the Underworld, hearing nothing of his beloved’s footsteps behind him, he turned round — and lost her for ever.
This legend has inspired many composers to produce masterworks. First among them is Christoph Willibald von Gluck, with his Orfeo ed Euridice in Italian, and his equally celebrated revised version, reworked by Berlioz in 1859. It is here that we find the famous aria Che farò senza Euridice, of which you can hear an extract below.
The text
| Italian text | English text |
|---|---|
| ORFEO Che farò senza Euridice Dove andrò senza il mio ben? Euridice! Euridice! Oh Dio! Rispondi! Io son pure il tuo fedel! Euridice! Euridice! Ah! non m’avanza Più soccorso, più speranza, Né dal mondo, né dal ciel! Che farò senza Euridice? Dove andrò senza il mio ben | ORPHEUS What will I do without Euridice? What will I do without Euridice? Where will I go without my beloved? What will I do, where will I go, What am I going to do without my beloved? Where will I go without my beloved? Euridice? Euridice? Oh, God! Answer me! Answer me! I am surely ever faithful to you! I am surely ever faithful to you! Ever faithful to you! What will I do without Euridice? Where will I go without my beloved? What will I do, where will I go, What am I going to do without my beloved? Where will I go without my beloved? Euridice! Euridice! |
| Source |
Orpheus Wooing the Mermaid by Emmanuel Hannaux (1855–1934)
This white marble sculpture is a characteristic example of French academic art from the late nineteenth century. The subject depicts an episode from the voyage of the Argonauts: Orpheus, playing his lyre, manages to outshine the bewitching song of the Sirens and thereby saves his fellow sailors. The narrative tension is magnificently rendered in marble — that raised arm holding the lyre, and the Siren clinging to him as though trying to hold him back or drag him down.
Further reading: Wikipedia (Orpheus); alex-bernardini.fr; mythologica.fr; histoire-amour.com; superprof.fr.
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Je suis photographe et aquarelliste. Je pratique la photographie depuis l'enfance et la photographie numérique depuis 1995. J'en ai fait mon activité principale en 2021. Je possède un studio photo dans le 15e arrondissement de Paris
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