Jupiter and Semele by Gustave Moreau

The whole museum is devoted to one artist, Gustave Moreau, who I’d never even heard of before. It’s too bad he’s so un-famous, because his work is really quite spectacular. Most of it is executed on a very large scale, with deep, rich colors and an intricate attention to detail. I also found him fascinating for the way he mixes imagery from different traditions. The painting above features the story of Jupiter and Semele, from classical mythology, but quite clearly draws on Hindu and Buddhist iconography. In another of his works (which I’ll try to find an image for later), he mashes together the story of Prometheus with the Christ narrative, representing Prometheus with a crown of thorns, as a sacrificial martyr for humanity.

The museum itself is really cool, too. It’s located in Moreau’s former workshop, and the lower floor preserves the apartment where he lived.

Moreau's Apartment

I want a staircase this cool in my house.