Song of the Sea (The Three Graces)
Which figures from ancient mythology would you like to encounter in the contemporary world?
This painting features goddesses from Greek mythology; each is associated with different qualities: Aglaia (elegance, brightness, and splendor); Thalia (youth, beauty, and good cheer); and Euphrosyne (mirth and joyfulness). In this scene, Mathews transports the goddesses from ancient Greece to California—the women are dressed not in classical Greek costume but kimono-type robes suggestive of the bohemian tastes of West Coast artistic life in 1909.