Clytie

Art Historical Context

George Frederic Watts created *lytie* during the height of the Victorian era, a time when British artists often turned to classical mythology for inspiration. The sculpture depicts a female nude, evoking the tragic nymph from ancient Greek legend who was transformed into a sunflower. Cast in painted plaster and measuring 34 inches in height, the work dates to roughly 1868–1875 and reflects Watts’s interest in expressive, allegorical subjects that blend emotional depth with idealized form. Plaster as a medium allowed sculptors like Watts to explore ideas quickly and affordably before committin...