Mrs Worrell as Hebe by Benjamin West

Mrs Worrell as Hebe

c. 1775 - 1778

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Artwork details

Dimensions
support: 1270 x 1003 mm frame: 1485 x 1236 x 105 mm
Location
Tate Britain
Copyright
CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 DEED, Photo: Tate

About this artwork

Editor: Here we have Benjamin West’s "Mrs Worrell as Hebe." I’m struck by the almost dreamlike quality, the soft focus, and how Mrs. Worrell seems so composed, despite having an eagle right behind her. What do you make of this interpretation of Greek mythology? Curator: Well, it whispers of Neoclassicism, doesn't it? The controlled emotion, the idealized form... Hebe, the goddess of youth, forever serving nectar to the gods. But look closer; it's not just about flawless beauty. It's about the weight of immortality, perhaps? That slightly melancholic gaze... What do you see there? Editor: Now that you mention it, there's a sadness in her eyes, like she's burdened by her eternal role. Curator: Exactly! And West, bless his heart, captures that human element within the divine. It's a gentle nudge, reminding us that even in myth, there's a bit of ourselves to be found. Editor: I hadn't considered it that way before! It’s like the painting holds a mirror to our own longings for something more. Curator: Precisely! It is a reminder that art can reveal deeper truths if we dare to look closely.

Comments

tatebritain's profile
tatebritainabout 1 year ago

http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/west-mrs-worrell-as-hebe-n00799

tatebritain's profile
tatebritainabout 1 year ago

It was fashionable at this time for female sitters to be shown in character, particularly from classical mythology. Catherine Worrell is represented as Hebe, the Greek goddess of youth and beauty who was popular for her virtuousness. Benjamin West’s restrained style of painting was much admired, and he charged accordingly high prices. Catherine’s husband, Jonathan Worrell, commissioned this painting. His wealth came from owning a Barbados plantation that used the labour of enslaved Africans. In the 1760s, Worrell moved from Barbados to England, buying property in Surrey and land in Canada. Gallery label, April 2023