Sensual, treacherous, breathtaking, or hideous, the portrayal of mermaids in literature and art is one of significant ambiguity. This half-fish, half-woman creature of the ocean has long been a source of fascination and mystery for artists worldwide. 

The myth around mermaids has been in existence since the age of the ancient Syrian, Greek, and Indian civilizations. Pop culture, especially Disney’s The Little Mermaid, has painted mermaids in an innocent and pretty, sparkly-eyed and wavy-haired light. But, has this always been the case? 

Many famous artistic depictions of these elusive creatures suggest otherwise. More than the creative competence, the impressiveness of these depictions lies in the stories they tell without words. Let’s have a look at some of the most impressive classic mermaid paintings of all time.

A Mermaid 1900 – John William Waterhouse 

‘A Mermaid’ was the celebrated English painter John William Waterhouse and dated back to 1900. This mermaid painting depicts a mermaid, pale and beautiful, combing her long, red hair on the seashore. The mermaid sits bare-bodied, complete with a thick, shiny fishtail.

This marvel of oil on canvas falls under the style of Romanticism, glorifying the irrational, imaginative, and spontaneous elements of art. The painting’s most striking feature is the mermaid’s ‘gentle melancholy,’ who is lonely despite being a treacherous enchantress. This loneliness is portrayed by the absence of sailors in the painting. 

Waterhouse’s art is best known for its depictions of beautiful mythological women. This particular painting was inspired by Tennyson’s poem ‘The Mermaid’ and was made in the literary painting style. Waterhouse presented it to the Royal Academy of Arts in London, where it is displayed now.

The Mermaid – Howard Pyle 

Howard Pyle’s The Mermaid, made in 1910, is one of the best classic mermaid paintings ever to exist. It is representative of the painter’s affinity towards mythical creatures. The painting comprises a mermaid rescuing a man drowning in the sea and carrying him to the shore.

The mermaid is adorned with jewelry, while the man has only a loincloth and a red cap. The main idea behind the painting is the interaction of opposing forces in nature. For instance- an embrace between human and mermaid, the rescued and the rescuer, the land and the sea, etc.

An American author and illustrator, Howard Pyle was a teacher of illustration at the Drexel Institute of Art, Science, and Industry. Unfortunately, he died on his artistic pilgrimage to Italy, leaving the painting unfinished. Though a student completed it, the artist’s original thought behind it remains unknown. The paintings are now at the Delaware Art Museum.

A Mermaid Being Mobbed by Seagulls – Giovanni Segantini 

If this painting could be described in a single word, the word would be ‘chaos.’ As the name suggests, A Mermaid Being Mobbed by Seagulls depicts a charming, brown-haired mermaid being ravaged by a flock of angry seagulls. The seagulls are attempting to pull the mermaid away into the air.

This scene takes place amid high, turbulent waves. This painting represents the art movement called Symbolism, that is, the description of emotional experiences through suggestive, often subtle, symbols. Giovanni was known for his works on Symbolism.

Italian painter Giovanni Segantini was a famous name in the later part of the 19th century, and his work majorly includes majestic landscapes of the Alps. However, his contribution to art is most notable in combining the elements of the Earth and the Divine.  

Mermaids at Play – Arnold Bocklin 

Yet another Symbolist masterpiece is Arnold Bocklin’s work Mermaids at Play, dating back to 1886. It is an oil artwork and makes use of a dynamic synthesis of contrasting hues. The central rock is a bold shade of brown, while the background tides are a sparkling white. 

The paintings incorporate many elements, such as a host of slender, heavenly mermaids playing in the waves. They have brightly colored hair and tails, some red, some brown, some blonde. The painting also includes a horrified infant mermaid tossing in the waves and a demonic creature underneath the rock. 

Arnold Bocklin was one of the most famous Swiss painters, and his works strongly reflected Romanticism and Symbolism. The painting belongs to the mythological genre and is now located at the Kunstmuseum Basel in Switzerland.

Oberon and the Mermaid – Sir Joseph Noel Paton

Titled Oberon and the Mermaid, this stunning work of oil on canvas creates Scottish artist Sir Joseph Noel Paton. This painting dates back to 1888 and illustrates a scene from the top-rated Shakespearean comedy, A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

The painting comprises Oberon, the King of the Fairies, and Robin Goodfellow, better known as Puck, a mischievous fairy in English mythology, sitting on a cliff. Below them is the sea and on a rock in the sea rests a bewitching, bare mermaid.

The painting employs a pale, gentle color scheme, primarily shades of yellow and golden and the fairies’ crimson wings. Joseph Noel Paton, along with a painter, was also a sculptor, illustrator, and poet. His paintings reflect his deep interest in Scottish folk tales and Celtic legends.

Conclusion

Mermaid paintings are uniquely valuable because they are mysterious yet beautiful subjects. Their mythological significance remains the same, spanning across styles and genres with their complex duality of beauty and viciousness. While the originals may be hard to get your hands on, you can relish the beauty of these mythical creatures in fine reproductions made by talented artists at 1st-Art-Gallery.