The Water Sprite

According to myth, the violin music of the Water Sprites tempts people into the water, where they drown. In Ernst Josephson’s painting the Water Sprite is playing in the moonlight. His music is accompanied by the sound of the waterfall behind him. The water cascades and splashes. River weed and other plants wrap around his head. Grasses wave between his legs and caress his stomach, while flowering water plants tickle his back. His body is young, strong and slender, almost androgynous. We have an idea of but cannot see his sex. The Water Sprite has his eyes closed and his mouth half-open. He appears to be intensely enjoying the music and the nature around him. The vivid expression of sensuousness and sensuality shocked the audience of the time. In the 1890s, Nationalmuseum turned down one version, Strömkarlen, which was bought by Prince Eugen and now resides at Prince Eugen’s Waldemarsudde. Another version of The Water Sprite is in the collection of the Gothenburg Museum of Art. Nationalmuseum’s painting dates from 1882–1883 and was purchased with the support of the Friends of Nationalmuseum in 1915.