A Water Baby

Herbert James Draper 1864 - 1920

Summary

A circular painting set on the coast. A nymph, naked except for a thin strip of seaweed draped across her lower body, opens a large oyster shell, perched on a rocky outcrop, which extends into the sea. A naked baby lies inside the shell, asleep, its legs pulled up to its stomach, and its arms wrapped around its chest, with curly dark hair. The nymph stands in profile to the right, up to her knees in the sea, her long dark hair falling over her left shoulder. White drapery covers the rocks on the left. The sea is visible beyond the rocks on the right, with rocky coastlline in the distance.