Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones (1833-1898)

Perseus and the Sea Nymphs (The Arming of Perseus)

The Perseus myth would have been told as a story and passed down the generations, so there are many different versions and different orders to the events. Burne-Jones follows Perseus from the Graiae to the Sea Nymphs who keep three items vital to his quest: the winged sandals of the god Hermes, a helmet of invisibility belonging to Hades (god of the Underworld) and a Kibisis or bag in which to keep the severed Gorgon's head. Burne-Jones's empty landscape focuses attention on the figures as Perseus grimly dons the gifts of the graceful but remote Sea Nymphs.

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