''Pandora'' is a c.1896 painting by

John William Waterhouse John William Waterhouse (6 April 184910 February 1917) was an English painter known for working first in the Academic style and for then embracing the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood's style and subject matter. His artworks were known for their dep ...

, now in a private collection. The painting is titled ''Pandora'' in honor of

Pandora In Greek mythology, Pandora (Greek: , derived from , ''pān'', i.e. "all" and , ''dōron'', i.e. "gift", thus "the all-endowed", "all-gifted" or "all-giving") was the first human woman created by Hephaestus on the instructions of Zeus. As Hes ...

, the first woman according to Greek mythology. Created by order of Zeus to introduce all evil into the lives of men, after Prometheus, against divine will, gave them the gift of fire. The recreated moment is the one in which Pandora is about to open the chest that contained the evils of the human race (old age, illness, passion, poverty and others). Her curiosity caused everyone except Hope to run away and spread out into the world. The theme, widely represented since Antiquity, was illustrated by the also Pre-Raphaelite painter Dante Gabriel Rossetti in his work ''Pandora''.

References

Paintings by John William Waterhouse 1896 paintings Water in art Pandora Paintings depicting Greek myths {{19C-painting-stub

See also

References