William
Bouguereau. Flore et z'ephyre
(1875)

A relaxed content Flora and tender kiss from Zephyr

Blossom detail
Before you use the images
on this page, Please consider providing a link or
making a small
donation.
This painting by William Bouguereau is of a young couple. It
depicts the Greek god Zephyrus the god of the west wind and Flora
the roman goddess of flowering plants, spring and to a lesser degree
fertility, sex, and blossoming. Flora is sitting on a grassy slope
with blossoms scattered about her on the ground. Her relaxed posture
and facial expression portrays a scene of calm and intimacy.
Zephyr is tenderly kissing her while gently caressing her left arm
with his right hand. He is supporting her head about which is a
garland of blossoms that are holding a veil. The veil is blowing in
the breeze symbolising the gentle west wind and entwining itself
around Zephyrs groin.
The above account is my interpretation of the work and should in
no way be taken as fact.
Click on the picture to return to paintings.

The Mythology.
In Roman mythology, Flora
was a goddess of flowers and the
season of spring. While she was
otherwise a relatively minor
figure in Roman mythology, being
one among several fertility
goddesses, her association with
the spring gave her particular
importance at the coming of
springtime. Her festival, the
Floralia, was held in April
or early May and symbolized the
renewal of the cycle of life,
marked with dancing, drinking,
and flowers. Her Greek
equivalent was Chloris. Flora
was married to Favonius, the
wind god, and her companion was
Hercules. Due to her association
with plants, her name in modern
English also means plant life.
Flora achieved more prominence
in the neo-pagan revival of
Antiquity among Renaissance
humanists than she had ever
enjoyed in ancient Rome.
Zephyrus, or just Zephyr
(Greek: Ζέφυρος, Zéphuros), in Latin
Favonius, is the Greek god of the west wind. The
gentlest of the winds, Zephyrus is known as the
fructifying wind, the messenger of spring. It
was thought that Zephyrus lived in a cave in
Thrace. Zephyrus was reported as having several wives
in different stories. He was said to be the
husband of his sister Iris, the goddess of the
rainbow. He abducted another of his sisters, the
goddess Chloris, and gave her the domain of
flowers. With Chloris, he fathered Carpus
("fruit"). He is said to have vied for Chloris's
love with his brother Boreas, eventually winning
her devotion. Additionally, with yet another
sister and lover, the harpy Podarge (also known
as Celaeno), Zephyrus was said to be the father
of Balius and Xanthus, Achilles' horses.
One of the surviving myths in which Zephyrus
features most prominently is that of Hyacinth.
Hyacinth was a very handsome and athletic
Spartan prince. Zephyrus fell in love with him
and courted him and so did Apollo. The two
competed for the boy's love, but he chose
Apollo, driving Zephyrus mad with jealousy.
Later, catching Apollo and Hyacinth throwing a
discus, Zephyrus blew a gust of wind at them,
striking the boy in the head with the falling
discus. When Hyacinth died, Apollo created the
hyacinth flower from his blood.In the story of Cupid and Psyche, Zephyrus
served Cupid by transporting Psyche to his cave.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zephyr