Oil paint on canvas
Tate Britain
Tate Collection
Works with images
Works on display
General Collection
Collection
<a href="https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/annie-louisa-swynnerton-540" aria-label="More by Annie Louisa Swynnerton" data-gtm-name="header_link_artist" data-gtm-destination="page--artist">Annie Louisa Swynnerton</a>
Oreads
Presented by John Singer Sargent 1922
actions: expressive
actions: postures and motions
adults
animals: fish and aquatic life
bending forward
classical myths: creatures
contorted
female
fish
group
groups
holding hands
natural phenomena
nudes
nymph
people
rainbow
religion and belief
sea
seascapes and coasts
splash
standing
wave
woman
<p>This work probably illustrates a scene in the ancient Greek poem ‘Dionysiaca’. Zeus, god of the sky, has flooded the earth. The oreads (mountain spirits) are forced to seek safety on higher ground. A rainbow suggests the storm is ending, although it is unclear if the figure on the lower right will survive. In 1922 Annie Swynnerton became the first woman to be elected to the Royal Academy of Arts in over 150 years. Swynnerton was also involved with the fight for women’s rights. Some of her sitters and supporters were leading figures in the women’s suffrage movement.</p><p><em>Gallery label, October 2020</em></p>
painting oil paint canvas
14 December 2012 – 26 September 2022
2022-09-26
10 December 2012 – 25 September 2022
2022-09-25
2012-12-10
Tate Britain (London, UK)
http://www.tate.org.uk/britain/
2012-12-14
Gallery 4
Collection based display
23 February 2018 – 6 January 2019
2019-01-06
23 February 2018 – 6 January 2019
2019-01-06
2018-02-23
Manchester Art Gallery (Manchester, UK)
http://www.manchestergalleries.org
2018-02-23
Painting Light and Hope: Annie Swynnerton (1844-1933)
Loan-out
26 September 2022
Tate Britain (London, UK)
http://www.tate.org.uk/britain/
2022-09-26
Gallery 9
Collection based display
31 October 2022 – 24 September 2023
2023-09-24
31 October 2022
2022-10-31
Tate Britain (London, UK)
http://www.tate.org.uk/britain/
2022-10-31
Annie Swynnerton
Collection based display
Oreads
support: 1778 × 1778 mm
Presented by John Singer Sargent 1922
<div class="text">
<p>This work probably illustrates a scene in the ancient Greek poem ‘Dionysiaca’. Zeus, god of the sky, has flooded the earth. The oreads (mountain spirits) are forced to seek safety on higher ground. A rainbow suggests the storm is ending, although it is unclear if the figure on the lower right will survive. In 1922 Annie Swynnerton became the first woman to be elected to the Royal Academy of Arts in over 150 years. Swynnerton was also involved with the fight for women’s rights. Some of her sitters and supporters were leading figures in the women’s suffrage movement.</p>
</div>

Display caption
2020-10-13T00:00:00
display-caption
DISPLAY_CAPTION
actions: expressive actions: postures and motions adults animals: fish and aquatic life bending forward classical myths: creatures contorted female fish group groups holding hands natural phenomena nudes nymph people rainbow religion and belief sea seascapes and coasts splash standing wave woman