N° 009
Orpheus in Hades
$79 – $139
Orpheus sang his way into the underworld to bring his wife back. He was given one rule.
He must not look back at Eurydice until they had left the underworld. They were almost out when he turned to see her, and he lost her for good. Marcel-Béronneau paints him earlier in the story, playing in the dark with his eyes half closed and his head against the lyre.
More about this workSizes
- Small Throw52 × 37 in · 132 × 94 cm · Armchair or small wall$79
- Classic Throw60 × 50 in · 152 × 127 cm · Sofa$99
- Grand80 × 60 in · 203 × 152 cm · Bed or large wall$139
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Made to order, then shipped from the USA with tracking. Your estimated delivery date is shown at checkout on Etsy. 30-day returns. You’ll pick your size and check out on Etsy.
The work
- Title
- Orpheus in Hades
- Also known as
- Orphée (Orpheus)
- Artist
- Pierre Amédée Marcel-Béronneau
- Nationality, dates
- French, 1869–1937
- Date
- c. 1897–1899 (often dated 1897; shown at the Paris Salon of 1899)
- Medium
- Oil on canvas
- Dimensions
- 194 × 156 cm (76 3/8 × 61 3/8 in)
- Subject
- Orpheus in the underworld, from the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice (Ovid, Metamorphoses, Book X)
- Held by
- Musée des Beaux-Arts de Marseille (Inv. L 79.2), gift, 1976. Not affiliated with or endorsed by the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Marseille.
- Rights
- Public domain. Image source: Wikimedia Commons, photograph by Elke Wetzig (User:Elya).
In the Greek myth, Orpheus sang so well that trees and stones followed him. When his wife Eurydice died of a snakebite, he went down into the underworld to bring her back. His song moved the king and queen of the dead, and they let her follow him home. He only had to keep his eyes ahead until they were out. Near the end of the climb, he turned to see her. She slipped back and died a second time.
Pierre Amédée Marcel-Béronneau studied in Paris with Gustave Moreau, who counted him among his best students. His Orpheus stands pale against the dark, eyes half closed, his head tipped back against a large, ornamented lyre. Below his feet, faces show through the dark ground. The painting was shown at the Paris Salon of 1899, and Moreau’s influence is still easy to see.
In 1909, a young painter and poet named Kahlil Gibran left his art school in Paris to work in Marcel-Béronneau’s studio. Gibran went on to write The Prophet.
flexit amans oculos, et protinus illa relapsa est
“The lover turned his eyes, and at once she slipped back.”
Ovid, Metamorphoses, Book X, line 57
Details
- Woven blanket, 100% cotton, with colorful fringed edges
- Three sizes: 52 × 37 in (132 × 94 cm), 60 × 50 in (152 × 127 cm), 80 × 60 in (203 × 152 cm)
- Size tolerance ±2.5 in (about 6 cm)
- Hang it as a wall tapestry (hanging hardware not included), or use it on a sofa or bed
- Woven threads soften fine linework; colors and texture differ slightly from the screen image
- Catalogue N° 009 · The Noha Studio
Care
- Machine wash cold, max 30°C / 86°F
- Gentle cycle, mild detergent
- Non-chlorine bleach only if needed
- Tumble dry low
Shipping & returns
Designed by The Noha Studio. Made to order by our production partner in the USA.
Made to order, then shipped from the USA with tracking. Your estimated delivery date is shown at checkout on Etsy.
Arrived damaged or faulty? Message us on Etsy with a photo and we’ll replace it or refund you.
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Also in The Underworld
N° 004
The Mouth of Hell
Winchester Psalter
$79 – $139
N° 006
Isle of the Dead
Arnold Böcklin
$79 – $139
N° 008
Hell
Hieronymus Bosch
$79 – $139
- All 13 works
The original work is in the public domain.