The
painting tells a story from Greek mythology. The legend says that a proud Queen named Cassiopeia
angered the sea god, Poseidon. She had claimed that she (or her daughter, Andromeda -
the stories vary), was more beautiful than the Nereids (sea nymphs).
To punish Cassiopeia for her pride, Poseidon sent a sea monster to flood the coast and attack her land. Cassiopeia's husband, Cepheus, asked the Oracle how to stop the monster and was told that the only way was to offer Andromeda as a sacrifice. His people forced Cepheus to do as the oracle said, and so Andromeda was tied to a rock on the shore and left to be eaten by the monster.
However, the hero Perseus just happened to be passing on the winged horse, Pegasus. At first he thought that Andromeda was a statue - she stood so still and her skin was so white. However he soon realised what was happening. Perseus swooped down, killed the sea monster (if you look carefully you can see an arrow sticking out of the monster's back) and rescued Andromeda. The legend then says that Andromeda and her hero fell in love and were married.
'Perseus and Andromeda' was painted in 1891 by the artist Frederic Leighton. The painting is oil on canvas and measures 2.35 metres tall and 1.29 metres wide (7.71 x 4.24 feet).
The story of Perseus and Andromeda has been very popular with artists for centuries. 19th century audiences would have loved the story for its themes - adventure, heroism, bravery and rescue.
The painting shows Perseus (at the top of the painting) swooping down on the winged horse Pegasus to rescue Andromeda. She is in the clutches of the sea monster (which looks like a dragon). The whole painting is full of drama - we wonder what will happen next. Will Perseus arrive in time or will the monster eat Andromeda?
Perseus is bathed in light which contrasts with the dark, shadowy figure of the sea monster. Andromeda is half-hidden by its scaly wings, but part of her body is brightly lit, like she is under a spotlight in the theatre. Leighton uses this light and darkness to represent good and evil in the picture.
The bent pose of Andromeda within the twisted coils of the monster is typical of Leighton's late style. At this time he wanted his paintings to look decorative. Critics in 1891 thought these lines and curves were superb and very important parts of the painting.
Frederic Leighton was born in Scarborough in 1830, the son of a doctor. His family had left Russia in 1825 and spent several years travelling. As a result the young Frederic had an early education in European art and culture, with periods in Brussels, Paris, Frankfurt and Rome.
He returned to England in 1855, and showed his historical painting, Cimabue's Madonna Carried in Procession through the Streets of Florence, at the Royal Academy. The critics loved it and Queen Victoria even bought it a few years later. This was the start of a highly successful career.
By 1868 Leighton was a member of the Royal Academy and was basing his paintings on mythology. This coincided with a sudden interest in ancient Greece, and Leighton's paintings were suddenly the centre of attention. He became the recognised leader of the Victorian classical style of art, was elected President of the Royal Academy in 1878, and was made a baron in 1896 (Baron Leighton of Stretton). However, by this time Leighton was seriously ill and died soon after. He was buried in St Paul's Cathedral. The poet Algernon Swinburne composed his funeral poem:
'A light has passed that never shall pass away
A sun has set whose rays are unequalled in might'.
After Leighton's death his scenes from mythology became unpopular with critics. It wasn't until the middle of the 20th century that his work became popular again.