The Bay of Baiae, with Apollo and the Sibyl by Joseph Mallord William Turner (1775-1851). Exhibited 1823. Oil on canvas, 454 x 2375 mm. Courtesy of Tate Britain (Accession no. NO0505. Accepted by the nation as part of the Turner Bequest 1856.) Click on image to enlarge it.
Commentary from Tate Britain Online (2010)
Here Turner has used Baiae, in the Bay of Naples, as the backdrop for the myth of Apollo and the Cumaean Sibyl. The latter asked the Roman god to grant her life for as many years as the grains of sand she could hold in her hand. However, she omitted to ask for eternal youth and wasted away until only her voice remained. The poignant theme of her story is reflected in Turner’s landscape. The passage of time has wrought changes to the Roman architecture of the resort, but the golden beauty of the landscape remains undiminished.
Related compositions — Claudean trees
- The Golden Bough
- Apullia in Search of Appullus
- The Thames near Windsor
- Tivoli: Tobias and the Angel
- The Loretto Necklace
- Narcissus and Echo
- The Departure of the Fleet
Last modified 14 May 2016