Young Hylas with the Water Nymphs is an oil painting by William Etty.
Hylas was the young son of Thiodamus, king of Dryopes, Hylas was the favourite of Hercules and accompanied him on the Argonautic expedition. When the ship put in at Mysia, Hylas went to a spring to bring fresh water to Hercules and Telamon. Spring nymphs were so taken with the youth, that they pulled him into water to remain with them forever. Hercules searched island, calling for Hylas. According to Theocritus, Hylas answered these calls three times, but sank before Hercules could find him. When Argos set sail at nightfall, Hercules remained to continue his search, but to no avail. Before returning to Argos, he established a cult of Hylas at Cius.
Etty shows us the moment when Hylas, while fetching fresh water for the Argonautic expedition, is being carried away by Dryope and her water nymphs on account of his beauty. The painting was exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1833 to great acclaim. The group of Naiades surrounding the figures of Hylas recalls Etty's Youth on the Prow and Ruben's "Water Nymphs" from the Marie de' Medici Cycle paintings.
Young Hylas with the Water Nymphs provides examples of:
- Art Imitates Art:
- Like many of the other depictions of Hylas at the time, the painting was directly inspired by John William Waterhouse's Hylas and the Nymphs.
- The sepia coloring and poses of the nymphs are reminiscent of Rubens' "The Disembarkation at Marseilles" (from the Marie de' Medici Cycle).
- Deliberately Monochrome: Much of the image is done in sepia tone. Even the sky is a brownish blue.
- Foregone Conclusion: To those who know anything about the set-up, the story ends with the nymphs taking Hylas, never to be seen again, while Hercules is left mourning his friend/lover.
- Our Nymphs Are Different: Dryope and the other nymphs seduce Hylas behind Hercules' back. They are depicted as attractive young women that play the role of a Femme Fatale.
- Protagonist Title: The title mentions Hylas, about whom the painting revolves (the nymphs seduce him and the other Argonauts search for him).
