Artwork
Ariel and Caliban
Ariel and Caliban is an oil painting by the British Romanticist artist David Scott. It dates from 1837 and is held in the collection of the National Galleries Scotland.
About this work
Overview
Ariel and Caliban is an oil painting created by David Scott in 1837, currently held at the Scottish National Gallery.
Subject & Meaning
The painting depicts a nude woman, Ariel, floating above a dark-skinned man, Caliban, who lies on the ground. Ariel holds a bow and arrow, suggesting a threat or attack, while Caliban appears to be struggling or in pain, conveying a sense of tension and conflict.
Technique & Style
The figures are set against a green background with red clouds, with Ariel's body arched and arm extended, conveying motion. The style is characteristic of David Scott's work, with a focus on dynamic movement and emotional intensity.
Artist & collection
Artist
David Scott painted dramatic scenes from history and myth in oils during the early 1800s.
Queen Elizabeth (1533–1603), Viewing the Performance of 'The Merry Wives of Windsor' at the Globe Theatre
The Traitor's Gate
A Study for 'The Descent from the Cross'
The Belated Peasant (from Milton's 'Paradise Lost')
The Fire of London
Philoctetes left on the Isle of Lemnos by the Greeks on their passage towards Troy
The Vintager
Puck Fleeing from the Dawn
Oberon träufelt Blumensaft auf die Augen der schlafenden Titania
Theodore Meets in the Wood the Spectre of His Ancestor Guido Cavalcanti
Satan, Sin and Death (A Scene from Milton's `Paradise Lost')
The Tragic Cradle
Satan über dem feurigen See, Beelzebub zu sich aufrufend
Hercules and the Lernaean Hydra
Mischief
The Ideal
Courtship
Susanna and the Elders
Time, Truth and History
Ariel (from William Shakespeare's 'The Tempest')