This extraordinary Italian gouache and oil on canvas brings two of the most popular characters from Greek mythology vividly the life - the nymph and the satyr. Both creatures are famed for their carefree natures and lascivious temperaments, and tales abound of satyrs pursing nubile nymphs in order to rape or seduce them, usually with little success. One such narrative humorously unfolds in the present piece, which depicts an indignant satyr captured by three nymphs with a golden net.

The relationship between these two mythological creatures was a popular one for artists throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, though its origins stretch back to antiquity. Both satyrs and nymphs were commonly found on ancient Greek pottery, which inspired later Italian revivals such as the present piece. A similar scene was also captured by the great William-Adolphe Bouguereau in his 1873 masterpiece Nymphs and Satyr, wherein a group of nymphs is surprised by a lascivious satyr while bathing.

Among the most popular of the Greek mythological characters, the satyr and nymph are brilliantly recreated in this gouache and oil on canvas. Likely once displayed in the music room of an Italian villa, it is an exceptional example of its genre.

Circa 1800