Arion on a sea horse Adolphe William Bouguereau (1825-1905)

In this painting, a young, androgynous figure is depicted riding a mythical sea creature. The figure, with dark curly hair and a serene expression, is nude from the waist up, draped in flowing blue fabric around their lower body and legs. They hold a white lyre, a symbol of music and poetry, in their left hand.
The creature beneath the figure is a hybrid: the front half resembles a horse with webbed feet and a somewhat reptilian face, while the rear half transitions into the powerful, scaled tail of a fish or serpent, complete with a fin. The creatures skin is a dark, greenish-blue, and its powerful limbs are positioned as if in motion through water.
The background is a richly decorated gold surface, adorned with a repeating pattern of small, stylized crosses or quatrefoils. This ornate backdrop contrasts with the more realistically rendered figures, creating a sense of divine or mythical grandeur. The entire composition is contained within an oval frame, further emphasizing its precious and symbolic nature.
The painting illustrates the Greek myth of Arion, a legendary poet and musician who, after being thrown overboard by pirates, was saved by a dolphin. Here, the artist has depicted the sea creature as a more fantastical hybrid, emphasizing its otherworldly nature. The subtexts of the painting include themes of divine intervention, the triumph of art and beauty over brutality, and the mystical connection between humanity and the natural (or supernatural) world. The lyre signifies Arions artistic genius, suggesting that his music charmed his captors or even the creatures of the sea. The opulent background elevates the scene to a mythological or celestial realm, reinforcing the idea of a miraculous rescue and the enduring power of art.