Nyx

16 in x 20 in, watercolor, 2022.

This work is of the ancient Greek primordial goddess Nyx, the personification of night. She is accompanied by two of her sons Thanatos (Death) and Hypnos (Sleep). In this work, I have incorporated several other iconographies related to the night, primarily those of nocturnal animals. I have represented Nyx with hypnotizing moth wings, and throughout the piece, there are several sets of fixed eyes on the viewer. This is intended to create the unsettling feeling of being watched, almost as if one is alone in the dark wilderness, uncertain of which nocturnal creatures have their gaze set on them.

Thanatos (Death) is placed to the left of this piece and is represented with a scythe, a symbol customarily associated with this deity and death. His head is of a menacing wolf bat. To the right side of the painting, lies Hypnos(Sleep). The characteristic of sleep is represented by the head of a wise owl, relating to the profoundness of dreams as well as the owl’s mesmerizing stare. This theme inspired much of the teal decorative work, as I wanted to give this piece a dream-like feeling.

In Hesiod’s Theogony, the ancient poet declares Tartarus as the home of Nyx and her two sons Hypnos and Thanatos. In Greek mythology, Tartarus is the deepest abyss of the Underworld and is reserved for imprisoned Titans, the location where wicked souls receive judgment, and is a primordial force alongside Earth (Gaia), Night (Nyx), and Time(Chronos).

As this scene is located deep within the Underworld, the two female figures to the left and right of the central figure depict the Erinyes, commonly referred to as the Furies. These deities of vengeance are prominent figures of the Underworld in Greek mythology. They make an appearance in the Inferno, where Dante places them as guardians of the city of Dis, which encloses the sixth through ninth circle of Hell. Accounts of the origins of these creatures differ, however, some recount that the Erinyes emerge from Nyx or night itself.