Siegfried and the Rhine Maidens

Albert Pinkham Ryder

National Gallery of Art

Three nude women bathing by moonlight are startled by a man on horseback riding beside a massive tree in this atmospheric, vertical landscape painting. The branches of the oversized tree sweep up and to our right from a thick trunk at the center of the composition to span the top edge of the canvas. Golden clouds veil the glowing full moon, which is framed between branches in the upper left corner. The river in the lower left quadrant reflects the bright clouds and muted blue sky. The three pale-skinned women there react to the horseman by scrambling away to our left. The rider wears a winged, gold helmet and armor. The work was painted almost entirely with warm white, dark moss green, smoke gray, and touches of teal blue. Cracks are visible across the surface of the canvas, and are especially noticeable at the center of the picture.