Henry Fuseli

Ixion and Nephele

Ixion and Nephele by Henry Fuseli

Artwork Detail

The subject is taken from Pindar’s Pythian, Ode II lines 21–89. When Ixion tries to seduce Hera, the wife of Zeus, the latter transforms Nephele the cloud-goddess into a replica of his wife and Ixion makes love to her instead. Centaurus, the product of their union, goes on to mate with the mares of Mt Pelion, creating the race of centaurs. Zeus punishes Ixion by binding him to a flaming spinning wheel on which he is forced to continuously repeat, ‘Show gratitude to your benefactor’.

Title
Ixion and Nephele
Artist/creator
Henry Fuseli
Production date
1809
Medium
pencil with brown, grey and pink wash
Dimensions
267 x 203 mm
Credit line
Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, purchased 1965
Accession no
1965/50
Copyright
No known copyright restrictions
Department
International Art
Display status
Not on display

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