Eurydice - Works of Art

Works of Art

The story of Orpheus and Eurydice has been depicted in a number of works by artists, including Titian, Peter Paul Rubens, Nicolas Poussin and recently Bracha Ettinger whose series Eurydice was exhibited in the Pompidou Centre, (Face à l'Histoire, 1996); the Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam (Kabinet, 1997) and The Royal Museum of Fine Arts, Antwerpen (Gorge(l), 2007). The story has inspired ample writings in the fields of ethics, aesthetics, art and feminist theory.

In addition, the myth has been retold in operas by Monteverdi, Jacopo Peri, Gluck, Yevstigney Fomin and Harrison Birtwistle (see List of Orphean operas). The myth is also the basis of Anais Mitchell's folk opera Hadestown. The story of Orpheus and Eurydice features prominently in the 1967 album Reflections by Manos Hadjidakis and the Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds album The Lyre of Orpheus as well as The New York Rock and Roll Ensemble song "Orpheus" and the 1967 song "From the Underworld" by The Herd. The band She & Him has a song entitled "Don't Look Back", which references the story. "Eurydice (Don't Follow)" is a song by the band The Crüxshadows. There are also songs written by Sleepthief and Wayne Shorter that are titled "Eurydice" .

Additionally, the story of Orpheus and Eurydice is the basis of a play by Sarah Ruhl, the comic book The Sandman by Neil Gaiman, and the poem "The Years Go Fast and the Days Go Slow" by James McCoy. The story inspired the 1959 critically acclaimed film Black Orpheus (Portuguese: Orfeu Negro) made in Brazil by Marcel Camus. The freeware game Don't Look Back is a modern interpretation of the story.

The myth also inspired the American playwright Tennessee Williams' 1957 drama "Orpheus Descending". It tells the story of a guitar-playing drifter named Val, a young man with a snakeskin jacket, a questionable past, and undeniable animal-erotic appeal. He gets a job in the dry goods store run by a middle-aged woman named Lady, whose elderly husband is dying. Lady has a past and passions of her own. She finds herself attracted to Val and to the possibility of new life he seems to offer. It is a tempting antidote to her loveless marriage and boring, small-town life. The play describes the awakening of passion, love, and life – as well as its tragic consequences for Val and Lady.