Artwork
Ariel riding on a Bat
Ariel riding on a Bat is an oil painting by Joseph Severn. It dates from 1843 and is held in the collection of the Ashmolean Museum.
About this work
Overview
Created circa 1843 by the English painter Joseph Severn, this oil on canvas portrays a nude figure astride a bat with its wings fully extended. The composition is set against a dim, shadowy backdrop of brown and black tones, emphasizing the central figure through strong contrasts of light and dark.
Subject & Meaning
The work draws on literary imagination, presenting a fantastical scene in which the human form merges with a nocturnal creature. The pose—right leg bent, left leg stretched, right arm lifted, left arm bent—suggests a dynamic, perhaps mythic, encounter, echoing the poetical themes that Severn often explored.
Technique & Style
Severn employs chiaroscuro to model the forms, using stark illumination to separate the nude and the bat from the murky background. The interplay of light on flesh and fur creates depth and a dramatic tension, while the brushwork remains relatively smooth, characteristic of mid‑19th‑century academic painting.
History & Provenance
After its completion, the painting entered the collection of the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford, where it remains on display. Its presence in the museum reflects Severn’s broader reputation for portraiture and literary subjects, and it stands as a rare example of his venture into more fantastical imagery.
Artist & collection
Artist
Joseph Severn (7 December 1793 – 3 August 1879) was an English portrait and subject painter and a personal friend of the English poet John Keats.
