Nymphs and Satyrs (c1873)
William Bouguereau Nymphs et Satyrs (1873)
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In this painting Bouguereau portrays a Satyr with four nymphs playfully dancing around him and seemingly trying to coax him into the water to bathe. His body posture suggests that he is reluctant to comply. There are also three other nymphs looking on from across what appears to be a river or pond. Satyrs were deities of the woods and were the companion of Bacchus the god of wine. They were half human half beast and although having the upper body of a human they had facial characteristics of a goat and the lower limbs of a goat. They mostly passed the time away drinking, dancing, and chasing nymphs. The were also said to be sexually driven. The nymphs were also associated with Bacchus. They lived on mountains and groves, by springs and rivers, and in valleys and cool grotto's and were the constant target of the satyrs who would take pleasure in their pursuit and would lie in wait for them to pass so that they could scare them.
The above account is my interpretation of the work and should in no way be taken as fact.