Nereide 2012

Roberto Ferri painted ‘Nereide’ with oils, continuing the grand tradition of figurative painting. Ferri emerges from a cultural landscape that reveres the Italian Renaissance and Baroque periods. Here, Ferri situates the viewer in relation to the nude figure of a Nereid, a sea nymph in Greek mythology. These sea nymphs were known for their beauty and were often depicted as protectors of sailors. We see the Nereid from behind, her pale skin set against the dark browns and grays of the rocks surrounding her. Her body is both idealized and vulnerable, a testament to the complex ways in which women have been represented throughout art history. Ferri’s choice to depict a mythological figure allows him to explore themes of beauty, nature, and the female form. This piece invites us to reflect on the legacy of classical mythology and its relevance to contemporary understandings of identity and representation.