The Mermaid
Date1910
Artist
Howard Pyle
(American illustrator, 1853–1911)
Illustration CitationNot reproduced.
MediumOil on canvas
Dimensions57 7/8 × 40 1/8 in. (147 × 101.9 cm)
frame: 66 1/2 × 48 7/8 in. (168.9 × 124.1 cm)
frame: 66 1/2 × 48 7/8 in. (168.9 × 124.1 cm)
Credit LineGift of the children of Howard Pyle in memory of their mother, Anne Poole Pyle, 1940
Object number1940-12
On View
On viewClassificationsPAINTING
Label TextWhen Howard Pyle left for his European travels in November 1910, The Mermaid was unfinished on the easel in his studio. It was not painted for publication, though Pyle may have intended to offer it to publishers. The mermaid—like many mythical characters—began to appear in turn-of-the-century art, thanks to a revival of European folklore. In this painting, Pyle seems to present her as the seductress of the deep, enchanting earthbound men and ultimately drowning them.
