Souls on the Banks of the Acheron — Adolf Hirémy-Hirschl
A look at the world of the dead in Greek mythology.
Greek mythology has been an inexhaustible source of inspiration for Art History.
From the myth of Narcissus to that of Phaethon and many others like Apollo and Daphne, the mythical universe created by Ancient Greece has been the motive for producing some essential painting works.
The French painter Himéry-Hirschl was also captivated by this pleiad of gods, nymphs, heroes, and mythical characters.
In his case, he portrayed his particular vision of the underworld classically.
In Souls on the Banks of the Acheron, we witness a striking image: a crowd swirls around the figure of Hermes Necropompos, seeking help to cross the Acheron river that separates them from the world of the dead.
To achieve that, they must cross in Charon’s boat, which will take them to the other side of the shore, and from there, they can finally reach their eternal rest. We can see him in the painting, almost at the edge of the picture, approaching the main scene.
