W. Russell FlintScottish, 1880–1969Theocritus Idyl I
Can I see it?
Not on view at present
Where is “Theocritus Idyl I” now? Collection: Minneapolis Institute of Art, Minneapolis. Not on view at present. Checked September 29, 2026.
Minneapolis, United States
It belongs to the collection, but is not on display at present.
- Checked
- In this state since
- Source
- The museum
About the work
This watercolor was made to illustrate an idyll—a pastoral poem—ascribed to the Greek poet Theocritus, who lived during the third century BCE. The poem is written as a dialogue between the shepherd Thyrsis and an unnamed goatherd. Thyrsis recounts the shepherd Daphnis’s confrontation with Cypris (another name for Aphrodite, the goddess of love):
And yes, Cypris too came smiling sweetly, smiling secretly, but bearing heavy anger in her heart. And she said, 'Daphnis, did you not indeed assert that you would bind Love, and have you not now been bound by fierce Love yourself?'”
Read on
In telling his story, Thyrsis self-identifies with Daphnis, shown to the right in Flint’s illustration. Daphnis is about to bear the wrath of Cypris, who resents his contention that he can master love. Flint may well have identified with Thyrsis and Daphnis, for he suffered disappointments in his sometimes misguided passions for women.
Minneapolis Institute of Art
Details
- Accession number
- 2017.150.25
In the catalog
Sources
- Minneapolis Institute of Art
- Image: Minneapolis Institute of Art — © Sir William Russell Flint / Russell Flint Family
