Fantasy Myth and Legend Collection - Poseidon and the little Mermaid - Acrylic on canvas 24 x 30"

The legend of Poseidon is that after his wife was killed by pirates, he forced his daughter, Ursula, to sing sailors to their deaths. Eventually, Ursula rebelled, reasoning that not all humans were evil.  She stole a magic bracelet to give her human legs and made a deal with a sailor to enable her to leave her sea home. Poseidon intercepted her plans, and as a punishment, took her beautiful singing voice away and sealed it in a shell.  According to legend, they did eventually reconcile and Poseidon returned her singing voice.  

The artwork depicts a poignant scene of Poseidon, the Greek God of the sea and the mermaid Ursula.   The piece is executed and a painterly style with a textural quality. The artist uses colour and composition to convey a complex emotional narrative.

The teal and turquoise hues dominating the water create a dreamy, ethereal atmosphere of the fantastical nature of the subject.  The attention to detail is evident in the rendering of the water's movement, the delicate features of the mermaid and Poseidon's powerfully build physique. The work conveys a mood of both tenderness and melancholy; Poseidon's gaze is soft and protective, despite his firm hold on the mermaid.  The mermaid's expression suggests a mixture of vulnerability and resignation. Her slightly downcast eyes and the soft palette hint at deeper sadness. 

The painting is at the point where Poseidon has discovered her plan to live on land and use her voice for the benefit of humans, and he is disappointed.  She is resigned to her fate.