A Mermaid by John William Waterhouse (1892)

John William Waterhouse donated this painting to the Royal Academy after becoming an Academician. Since the 1880s, Waterhouse showcased his artworks at the Royal Academy and the New Gallery, featuring intricate compositions with numerous figures or solitary figures often inspired by literature or Greek mythology. It's likely that Waterhouse's depiction of a mermaid drew inspiration from Alfred Lord Tennyson's poem "The Mermaid" (1830), which describes the mermaid's longing and eventual pursuit of love among the mermen beneath the sea.

Waterhouse's interest also extended to the darker aspects of mermaid mythology, portraying them as enchantresses who traditionally lured sailors to their demise with their captivating songs. Despite being depicted as a 'siren,' Waterhouse's mermaid appears alluring yet lonely, situated in an isolated inlet, softly combing her hair with a wistful expression. The painting evokes a sense of gentle melancholy, symbolized by the shell beside her believed to contain pearls formed from the tears of dead sailors.

When exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1901, critics noted the mermaid's melancholic gaze and commented on the theme of unfulfilled human desires. The painting captures the eternal longing of the mermaid for the human world, juxtaposed with the impossibility of a fulfilling relationship due to the inherent incompatibility between humans and mermaids.

Resolution 6000 x 8700 px