Henri Matisse  | PASIPHAE, 1947

Greek myth of Pasiphaé: This story details the birth of the Minotaur. According to Greek mythology, trouble began on the island of Crete when King Minos refused to sacrifice a handsome white bull to the sea god Poseidon. To punish King Minos, Poseidon cursed Pasiphaé, Minos’ beautiful wife, with a passion for the bull. Driven mad with desire, Pasiphaé mated with the bull and gave birth to the half-bull, half-human creature known as the Minotaur. Although he depicts a tragic tale, the images are true to the style of Matisse, and the suite is full of images of passion, love and feminine beauty.