Gerard de Lairesse: Selene and Endymion (1680)

 

(Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, The Netherlands)

A painting by the Dutch artist Gerard de Lairesse (1640-1711). This painting shows a scene from Greek mythology. Endymion was a handsome man who said to reside on Mount Latmus in Caria (today the West coast of Turkey). Endymion was loved by the moon goddess Selene who visited him at night when he was sleeping. She would come down to earth just to be with the beautiful Endymion. there are various endings to the story. According to one version Selene wished to be with Endymion forever so she asked Endymion's father, Zeus, to grant her lover eternal sleep so that she may visit him every night. Other translations claim that it was Endymion’s choice to remain unchanged and forever asleep. In another version, Selene asked Zeus to grant Endymion eternal youth so that he would never leave her. Gerard de Lairesse made this painting for the bedroom of Mary II of England (1662 – 1694), wife of Prince William III of Orange, at the Soestdijk Palace. Painting from 1680.