A Satyr mourning over a Nymph
- Artist: Piero di Cosimo
- Date: about 1495
- Medium: oil on wood
- Museum: The National Gallery
- Collection record: The National Gallery website
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About this artwork
This is the "A Satyr mourning over a Nymph" painted by Piero di Cosimo. Painted in the Italian north around 1495, this oil on wood painting has been interpreted as depicting an episode from Ovid's Metamorphoses. If that's correct, then the beautiful nymph at the centre would be Procris, who was accidentally killed by her husband Cephalus.
The satyr kneeling next to her is mourning her death, and a dog sits at her feet. In the background, more dogs appear on the lakeside, accompanied by a pelican. The inclusion of the satyr may have been inspired by a 15th-century adaptation of Ovid's work by Niccolò da Correggio.
This painting was likely part of furniture or inserted into wooden panelling in a Florentine palace. Piero di Cosimo specialised in such paintings, known as spalliere, which were often decorated with nature scenes and animals. His skill in depicting these subjects is evident here, particularly in the way he's captured the emotions of the figures and the flowers surrounding them.
See it in person
A Satyr mourning over a Nymph hangs in The National Gallery on Trafalgar Square, London — free to enter. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
