Nyx in Historical and Modern Art

One of the most pleasurable parts of mythology is that the stories get written anew with succeeding generations. You can see that here with two illustrations of the Ancient Greek Goddess Nyx: the first is by William-Adolphe Bouguereau in 1884 (_La Nuit_) and the second is by J.H. Williams III, illustration of Mother Night for Niel Gamain’s comic “Overture” in his _Sandman_ series.

Nyx is one of the earliest named deities in the Ancient Greek pantheon. The poet Homer writes that even Zeus was wary of causing Nyx anger. In poems attributed to Orpheus, Nyx is the first principle and from her emerges all creation. However she is described as being born from Chaos in Hesiod’s 8th-century poem _Theogany_. Her children were related abstractions — Doom, Death, Sleep, and Dreams were among them.

Nyx in these myths is described as a background force, less a personality than a cosmic power whom other immortals recognize as a great power.

I think the artwork that she inspired in later generations is fantastic.