The Water Nixie by Herbert James Draper, 1864-1920. 1908. Oil on canvas, 114.5 x 61 cm.
According to Simon Toll, "The expression of the nixie is rather disturbing, and the image is uncomfortable, as the discourse between her and the beholder is so overtly sexual and predatory. Early drawigs in Draper's sketchboook depict the nixie seducing a yoing man (and in one case, a satyr) amid the reeds. The nixie in the painting directs her attention to the spectator" [134].
References
Toll, Simon. Herbert Draper, 1863-1920: A Life Study. Woodbridge: Antique Collectors Club, 2003. [HJD129]
Last modified 19 March 2002