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PAG2-burnejones-perseus-jpg

Also known as “Perseus and the Sea Nymphs—The Arming of Perseus,” this halftone reproduction comes from a series of ten paintings commissioned in 1875 by Sir Arthur Balfour for his music room. The image depicts Perseus receiving three gifts from the sea Nymphs necessary for his quest: Hermes’ winged sandals, Hades’ helmet of invisibility, and a magical bag known as a kibisis to hold the Gorgon’s severed head. Perseus sits on a stone on the left of the image in three-quarter profile with his face in profile looking right toward the three Nymphs. His right leg is bent at the knee as he ties one of Hermes’s winged sandals to his foot. He wears decorative armour and he has thick short hair. At the right of the image stand the three nymphs. The Nymph furthest to the right is in three-quarter profile with her face in profile facing Perseus. Her hair is braided at the sides holding the rest of her long loose hair out of her face. She is wearing a long gown that shows her ankles and bare feet. In her left hand she is holding the magical bag. To her left is a second Nymph, with her back to the viewer. She wears a similar gown and has braided hair, but the loose hair is pulled forward to reveal the back of her neck. Her face is turned towards Perseus in profile. Her right hand is holding the first Nymph’s arm and her left hand holds the other winged sandal. The third Nymph closest to Perseus is in three-quarter profile, wearing a hair style and gown similar to the other two Nymphs. She faces Perseus and holds the helmet of invisibility out towards him in her right hand. There is a swirl of wind around the helmet, suggesting its power. The background of the image consists of dark swirls and curves, suggesting that they are in a cave or in front of mountains without any plant life.