Fine Art Poster
From $120
A giclée print on 200gsm matte fine art paper, using a twelve-colour process for accurate, fade-resistant colour. Supplied unframed, delivered flat or rolled.
Sold out
The Daughters of Thespius - Gustave Moreau
Regular price
$120.00 NZD
Sale price
$120.00 NZD
Regular price
Archival giclée
Frames arrive ready to hang
Secure checkout
Made to order
Description
A mythological scene by Gustave Moreau, depicting the daughters of Thespius within a highly decorative, classical architectural setting.
Gustave Moreau, a central figure in the French Symbolist movement, painted The Daughters of Thespius in 1853. The work depicts a scene from Greek mythology, specifically the legend of the fifty daughters of King Thespius, who were sent to Hercules. Moreau constructs a dense, architectural environment that reflects his fascination with antiquity and the exotic. The composition is heavily structured, featuring classical columns and sculptural elements that frame the numerous figures.
Moreau employs a muted, earthy palette, punctuated by the pale, luminous skin tones of the figures. The scene is crowded, yet each figure maintains a distinct posture, contributing to a sense of stillness and contemplation. The architectural details, including the bull-headed capitals and the celestial symbols atop the central pillars, suggest a ritualistic or sacred space. The foreground includes a pool with swans, adding a layer of naturalistic detail to the otherwise highly stylised and decorative setting.
This painting demonstrates Moreau's early interest in the fusion of classical themes with a dreamlike, almost claustrophobic atmosphere. He avoids the clear, rational space of traditional academic painting, opting instead for a layered, ornamental approach. The figures appear detached from one another, existing in a state of suspended animation. This work provides a window into the artist's early development, showing the emergence of the themes of myth, mystery, and decorative excess that would define his later career. The technical execution shows a careful attention to texture, from the smooth marble surfaces to the soft drapery and the reflective water in the foreground. It is a work that invites close inspection of its many components, rather than a single, unified narrative focus.
Return policy
Because every print is made to order, we don't offer change-of-mind returns, refunds or exchanges. If your order arrives faulty, damaged or incorrect, we'll replace it free of charge — just contact us within 48 hours of delivery. See our refunds page for full details.
Shipping
We ship worldwide, printing at the production hub nearest to your delivery address. Delivery times and costs vary by destination — you'll see the options available to you at checkout.
Manufacturing
Each print is produced to order using 12-colour giclée printing on FSC-certified archival paper. Designed in Britain and printed at your nearest production hub to reduce waste and speed up delivery.
Care and materials
Specific Features
Every Solis piece is made to order with archival, gallery-quality materials built to last.
- Museum-grade giclée printing for rich, fade-resistant colour
- Archival matte fine-art paper, FSC-certified
- Multiple sizes and framing options available
- Frames in black, natural wood, dark wood or white
- Framed prints arrive ready to hang
Care & Cleaning
To keep your artwork looking its best:
- Dust gently with a soft, dry cloth
- Avoid prolonged direct sunlight
- Never use liquid cleaners on the print or canvas surface
- Keep in a dry, room-temperature space
- Handle prints with clean, dry hands
Materials & Sizing
Museum-grade giclée on FSC-certified archival matte paper, with framed and canvas options.
- Paper sizes: A4, A3, A2, A1, A0 and B2 (50×70 cm)
- Canvas: XS (20×30 cm) to Large (60×90 cm)
- Frames: black, natural wood, dark wood or white
Complete The Look
The Daughters of Thespius - Gustave Moreau
Fine Art Poster / Small Square (30x30 cm) / -
Artist Biography
Gustave Moreau
Moreau produced over fifteen thousand works and converted his own house into a museum to hold them. When he died in 1898, the building at 14 rue de la Rochefoucauld in Paris became the Musee Gustave Moreau, exactly as he had planned. Eight thousand paintings, watercolours and drawings hung floor to ceiling in the rooms where he had lived and worked.
He was born in Paris in 1826, a sickly, solitary child who drew compulsively. He trained at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts and fell under the influence of Theodore Chasseriau, an eclectic painter whose depictions of enigmatic sea goddesses left a permanent mark. Chasseriau's death in 1856 shook Moreau badly enough to send him to Italy for two years, where he copied Mantegna, Carpaccio and the Venetians, filling notebooks with studies that fed his work for decades.
His breakthrough came at the 1864 Salon with Oedipus and the Sphinx, a painting that fused classical mythology with a strange, jewelled intensity that critics struggled to categorise. He became the foremost Symbolist painter, working in a style guided by what has been called Neo-Platonist faith: a belief that the physical world was imperfect and that art could capture something closer to divine vision. He never married, regarding the career of an artist as "a true priesthood", though he maintained a discreet relationship with Alexandrine Dureux for decades, subsidising an apartment for her near his family home.
As a teacher at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts, Moreau proved unexpectedly open-minded. His students included Henri Matisse and Georges Rouault, both of whom credited his insistence on personal expression over academic formula. Andre Breton and Salvador Dali later claimed his Symbolist imagery as a direct precursor to Surrealism.
He was born in Paris in 1826, a sickly, solitary child who drew compulsively. He trained at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts and fell under the influence of Theodore Chasseriau, an eclectic painter whose depictions of enigmatic sea goddesses left a permanent mark. Chasseriau's death in 1856 shook Moreau badly enough to send him to Italy for two years, where he copied Mantegna, Carpaccio and the Venetians, filling notebooks with studies that fed his work for decades.
His breakthrough came at the 1864 Salon with Oedipus and the Sphinx, a painting that fused classical mythology with a strange, jewelled intensity that critics struggled to categorise. He became the foremost Symbolist painter, working in a style guided by what has been called Neo-Platonist faith: a belief that the physical world was imperfect and that art could capture something closer to divine vision. He never married, regarding the career of an artist as "a true priesthood", though he maintained a discreet relationship with Alexandrine Dureux for decades, subsidising an apartment for her near his family home.
As a teacher at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts, Moreau proved unexpectedly open-minded. His students included Henri Matisse and Georges Rouault, both of whom credited his insistence on personal expression over academic formula. Andre Breton and Salvador Dali later claimed his Symbolist imagery as a direct precursor to Surrealism.
Made to order
Choose your finish
Every piece is printed to order. These are the five finishes, and what makes each one different.
Fine Art Framed
From $250
The same fine art print in a solid wood frame with UV-protective acrylic glaze and rigid backing. Five frame colours. Arrives ready to hang.
Why Choose Us ?
Damage-free delivery guarantee
Fast Shipping
Museum-Quality Materials
You May Also Like