“Amaryllis”
Beautiful Amaryllis…
“Amaryllis” is an oil on panel painting from 1884 by the English artist, William Holman Hunt. Hunt is most remembered for his association and co-founding of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood art movement. His art is known for its bright colors, striking contrasts, symbolism, and depth of detail.
Amaryllis is the name of a character that was featured in ancient Greek and Roman poems. The original Greek name, “Amarysso”, translates as “to sparkle” or “to shine”. The character of Amaryllis was written into several literary works, including Theocritus’s Idylls, Virgil’s Eclogues, and John Milton’s Lycidas. Theocritus referred to her as a nymph, but she is most commonly represented as a shepherdess.
Virgil’s poem became the most famous use of the name. She appears in the poem multiple times, in Eclogue I, II, III, and VIII. Amaryllis was a minor character who was beloved by Tityrus, and mostly active in Eclogue I. She is referred to several more times throughout the Eclogues, but her next physical presence is in Eclogue VIII, when she aided Alphesiboeus with crafting a love spell.
The flower of the same name, native to South Africa, was introduced to Europe in the 1700s by the Dutch East India Company. The flower was named after the character from Virgil’s poem.
During the Victorian era, flowers were commonly used as symbolism. The Amaryllis represented love, beauty, and determination. Hunt has painted the shepherdess in contemporary clothes in the English countryside. She wears a hat lined with different colored flowers. She has long red hair, bright blue eyes, rosy cheeks, and red lips. A shepherd is in the background tending to his flock, while Amaryllis stands in the foreground playing the double pipes.
“Amaryllis” is currently in a private collection.
For more on William Holman Hunt, please visit his short biography here.
You can find more artists to learn about here.
