The Second Birth of Dionysus
While living in Paris in the 1920s, Lynes developed friendships with many artists of the Surrealist circle, including Jean Cocteau and Man Ray. Influenced by the Surrealists’ interest in mythology, Lynes made a series of photographic interpretations of ancient Greek legends. According to one version of the Greek myth, Dionysus—son of Zeus and a mortal woman—is rescued from his dying mother’s womb and reborn from the thigh of his father. Lynes depicted the legend by manipulating two negatives into one print and airbrushing the seams to create a dreamlike image of the fantastical birth.
Artwork Details
- Title: The Second Birth of Dionysus
- Artist: George Platt Lynes (American, East Orange, New Jersey 1907–1955 New York)
- Date: 1939
- Medium: Gelatin silver print
- Dimensions: Image: 9 7/16 × 7 9/16 in. (24 × 19.2 cm)
Mount: 16 × 11 in. (40.6 × 27.9 cm)
Mat: 20 × 16 in. (50.8 × 40.6 cm) - Classification: Photographs
- Credit Line: Museum Accession
- Object Number: X.690
- Rights and Reproduction: © Estate of George Platt Lynes
- Curatorial Department: Photographs
More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
George Platt Lynes
ca. 1939
George Platt Lynes
1930s–50s
George Platt Lynes
1931
George Platt Lynes
1936
George Platt Lynes
1932
Research Resources
The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.
To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.
Feedback
We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.