"Hebe" The Goddess of Youth

Hebe is the ancient Greek goddess of youth.  Her father was Zeus and her mother was Hera and she always had a very loving and happy relationship with her mother, looking after her chariot and harnessing the peacocks for her.  She was also a cupbearer at her father's banquets, pouring nectar for the gods.  She married Hercules after he too was made a god and they had two sons.  She had the power to restore gods and men to the vigor of youth and is always thought of as young and beautiful, crowned with flowers and wearing charmingly colored garments.

I knew that my best friend Mary-Jo's daughter Lisa would be the perfect model for paintings of Hebe - I could see in her the same strong but sweet nature as Hebe, the same close relationship with her mother and I'm sure she would manage the peacocks really well - they would all love her!

This is a new painting I finished a few weeks ago. 











Actually she has been on and off the easel several times in the past few years whilst I contemplated her and changed things until finally!  I got the effect I wanted.

She is Calypso, the sea nymph, the daughter of the Titan, Atlas.  She lived on a beautiful island, so beautiful that even the gods themselves were stunned by it.  It was on this island that Odysseus was shipwrecked during his travels and Calypso tended his wounds and fell in love with him, offering him immortal life and love.  She kept him on the island for seven years and Odysseus must have made the best of things as they had two children.  Finally, Athena, Odysseus' patron goddess persuaded Zeus to send Hermes to Calypso to ask her to let him go...