PHYLLIS

THE STORY OF PHYLLIS AND DEMOPHOON IS TOLD BY OVID IN THE HEROIDES, A SERIES OF LETTERS IN WHICH MYTHOLOGICAL HEROINES ADDRESS THOSE WHO HAVE ABANDONED THEM. PHYLLIS' LAMENT, HEROIDES II, RECOUNTS THE RECENT EVENTS THAT EVENTUALLY PRECIPITATE HER SUICIDE. HER LOVER DEMOPHOON, SON OF THESEUS, HAD TO TRAVEL TO ATHENS BUT PLEDGED HIS RETURN. AFTER A MONTH PHYLLIS, DESPAIRING OF HIS HOMECOMING, HANGED HERSELF, THOUGH SHE TOOK THE SHAPE OF AN ALMOND TREE UPON DEATH. DEMOPHOON DID RETURN, AND COULD ONLY EMBRACE THE TREE, WHICH PUT FORTH LEAVES IN LOVING ACKNOWLEDGEMENT.

THE SUBJECT HAS INTRIGUED ARTISTS OVER THE CENTURIES. BURNE JONES' ICONIC IMAGE OF 1870 SHOWED PHYLLIS CLASPING DEMOPHOON, HER LIMBS ALREADY PARTIALLY VEILED IN BARK.

LONG DEPICTS PHYLLIS AWAITING HER LOVER'S RETURN, BUT HIS TITLE IS PERHAPS SECONDARY TO THE PICTURE'S PRIMARY APPEAL AS A PORTRAIT OF A BEAUTIFUL ARABIAN GIRL. ITS SOFT TONES CONVEY A SENSUAL DREAMINESS ALIEN TO THE GRIEVOUS EXTREMES SUGGESTED BY OVID'S STORY. PHYLLIS' EXPRESSION IS PENSIVE RATHER THAN TORMENTED. THE MODEL'S POSTURE, WITH HER HANDS CLASPED AROUND HER KNEES AND HER FEET TUCKED BENEATH HER, IS REPLICATED IN LOVE'S LABOUR LOST (1885) AND LORNA DOONE (C. 1888). THE EFFECT IS BOTH CASUAL AND SELF-COMPOSED.

THE COPYRIGHT FOR PHYLLIS WAS BOUGHT BY ARTHUR TOOTH & SONS, SUGGESTING THAT THE PICTURE WAS REPRODUCED AS A PRINT.

WE ARE GRATEFUL TO MARK BILLS FOR HIS HELP IN PREPARING THIS CATALOGUE ENTRY.