This painting by John Roddam Spencer Stanhope depicts Charon, the ferryman of the underworld, receiving payment from Psyche. The work exemplifies the artist's allegorical style and muted colour palette.

John Roddam Spencer Stanhope, a British artist associated with the later Pre-Raphaelites and Aestheticism, painted this depiction of Charon and Psyche. Stanhope's artistic journey involved a shift from the early Pre-Raphaelite style towards a more personal and decorative approach, influenced by his time in Florence. He is known for his allegorical and mythological subjects, often rendered with a distinctive colour palette and a sense of stillness. In this painting, Charon, the ferryman of the underworld, is shown in his boat on the River Styx. Psyche offers him payment, likely to cross into the realm of the dead. The figures are rendered with a classical sensibility, their poses and drapery evoking ancient sculpture. The colour scheme is dominated by muted browns and ochres, with touches of orange in Psyche's sash. The background is a dark, almost impenetrable forest, adding to the painting's somber mood. The composition is carefully balanced, with the figures arranged to create a sense of narrative tension.