Never Open The Box: Zeus’s Revenge, The Mystery of Pandora’s Box

In the world of classical painting, few images are as hauntingly beautiful and steeped in allegorical meaning as John William Waterhouse’s 1896 painting Pandora. Often referred to colloquially as “Pandora’s Box,” this artwork is a spellbinding visual narrative rooted in ancient Greek mythology and reimagined through the lush, emotive style of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. Although Waterhouse himself came slightly after the official period of the Pre-Raphaelites, he is often associated with their ideals, rich colors, mythological and literary themes, and a reverence for beauty, emotion, and nature.

Waterhouse’s Pandora captures a pivotal and tragic moment in mythological history: the unleashing of suffering upon the world. But what makes this painting so arresting is not just its subject matter, it is the layers of symbolism, emotion, and storytelling that unfold as you study it. In this article, we’ll explore the painting’s artistic qualities, interpret the symbolism embedded in it, and uncover the enduring meaning of the myth Waterhouse chose to portray.

The Story Behind the Painting: Who Was Pandora?

To fully appreciate Waterhouse’s work, one must first understand the myth it depicts. Pandora, in Greek mythology, was the first woman created by the gods, specifically by Hephaestus, on the orders of Zeus. She was given life as a punishment to humanity after Prometheus stole fire from the gods and gave it to mankind. Each Olympian god contributed to Pandora’s creation: Athena gave her wisdom, Aphrodite gave her beauty, Hermes gave her persuasion, and so on. But along with these gifts came a dangerous curiosity and a jar, or box, as it later became known.

The infamous “Pandora’s Box” was not meant to be opened. It was said to contain all the evils of the world, suffering, death, disease, jealousy, despair. Pandora, unable to resist the urge to look inside, opened it and the box tremble in her arms. As a result, all the evils escaped and spread across the earth to plague humanity leaving only Hope at the bottom.

Waterhouse’s painting captures the exact moment Pandora lifts the lid, driven by the same fatal curiosity that led to mankind’s suffering. It is a moment of poetic tension, of beauty and impending doom, a theme that fits well within Waterhouse’s artistic legacy.

What Is Happening in the Painting?

In Waterhouse’s Pandora, the viewer is presented with a solitary female figure, Pandora herself, seated gracefully with an ornate box held delicately in her lap. She has just begun to open it. Her face is turned slightly downward, eyes focused on the chest. Her posture is one of cautious fascination. A soft light seems to emanate from the box itself, suggesting something powerful and mystical is about to emerge.

She wears a classical Greek-style robe, cinched at the waist with gold detailing, reinforcing the mythological setting. Her long, auburn hair cascades in thick waves over her shoulders, a feature often romanticized in Pre-Raphaelite portraiture. The background is dark and undefined, placing all attention on the central act of opening the box.

Yet despite the apparent stillness of the image, there is a powerful undercurrent of anticipation and unease. This is the calm before the storm, the split second before the world changes forever. That emotional tension is part of what makes the painting so evocative.

Artistic Style and Technique

Waterhouse’s Pandora is painted in oil on canvas, a medium that allows for the luminous skin tones, rich drapery, and intricate detail that are hallmarks of his style. Though the painting was created in 1896, well after the official dissolution of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, it is heavily influenced by their aesthetic ideals. Waterhouse’s work is sometimes referred to as “late Pre-Raphaelite” or “Victorian classicism”, combining the detailed realism and romanticism of the Pre-Raphaelites with a slightly looser, more painterly technique.

The composition is vertically oriented, drawing the viewer’s eye upward along Pandora’s figure toward the mysterious box. The lighting is subtle and focused, creating a chiaroscuro effect that highlights Pandora’s form while casting the surrounding space in shadow. This helps to both dramatize the moment and isolate her in a kind of emotional and mythological bubble.

The brushwork is smooth but expressive. Waterhouse employs subtle gradations in skin tone, fabric texture, and hair to give the figure depth and realism. The color palette leans toward soft earth tones, sienna, cream, russet, and gold, imbuing the work with warmth, despite its somber theme.

Symbolism in Pandora

Every detail in Waterhouse’s Pandora is infused with symbolic meaning. Let’s examine the most significant elements:

1. The Box (or Jar)

Although mythologically the object is a jar (pithos), Renaissance and later artists interpreted it as a box. In Waterhouse’s painting, the box is small, ornate, and glowing faintly, suggesting something precious but also ominous. The box is the focal point of both the painting and the myth; it represents temptation, knowledge, and irreversible consequence. It is both gift and curse, treasure and trap.

2. Pandora Herself

Pandora’s expression is neutral, perhaps even serene. She is not depicted as malicious or overtly curious. Instead, she seems hesitant, introspective, and even sorrowful. This challenges the traditional interpretation of Pandora as a figure of blame and suggests a more sympathetic reading. She is not a villain, but rather a tragic agent of fate, perhaps manipulated by forces beyond her control.

3. The Light from the Box

A soft, almost spiritual light escapes from the box, hinting at both the divine origin of the contents and the destructive power they hold. Light in painting traditionally symbolizes truth, revelation, or the divine. Here, it becomes a harbinger of transformation, both wondrous and terrible.

4. Her Clothing

Pandora’s robe is classically styled, grounding her in the Greek mythos. The use of white or pale fabric suggests purity, innocence, or naiveté. Yet the gold accents introduce a layer of temptation and opulence, perhaps alluding to the divine nature of her creation and the seductive beauty of the forbidden.

5. Solitude and Isolation

There are no other figures or background distractions. Pandora is alone with her fate. This emphasizes the personal responsibility and internal struggle that precede her action. It also serves to universalize the image, Pandora could be any of us, poised on the brink of an irreversible decision.

Interpretation and Themes

Waterhouse’s Pandora can be interpreted on multiple levels, mythological, psychological, philosophical, and even feminist.

1. A Psychological Portrait

One can view Pandora as a study in internal conflict. The painting captures the tension between curiosity and caution, desire and fear. In this sense, Pandora becomes a mirror for the human condition, our eternal struggle with temptation, choice, and consequence.

2. The Feminine Archetype

Throughout history, Pandora has often been likened to Eve from the Bible, another woman whose curiosity led to the fall of man. Both figures have been used to symbolize the perceived dangers of female agency. However, Waterhouse’s portrayal is notably sympathetic. There is no moral judgment in the painting, only poignancy. It raises questions about the burden placed on women in myth and society, blamed for the misfortunes of the world, yet often denied agency or voice.

3. Hope and Redemption

Though unseen in the painting, the myth tells us that Hope remained at the bottom of the box. Waterhouse subtly alludes to this with the gentle light and Pandora’s calm demeanor. The suggestion is that even in unleashing despair, there remains a glimmer of salvation. This is a timeless message: that even in our darkest moments, hope endures.

What Kind of Art Is Pandora?

John William Waterhouse’s Pandora falls into several categories:

• Pre-Raphaelite-inspired Art: Although not a formal member, Waterhouse’s work carries forward the Pre-Raphaelite commitment to beauty, symbolism, and classical themes.

• Mythological Painting: The painting draws directly from classical mythology, a common subject among 19th-century artists.

• Symbolist Art: The layers of meaning and use of allegory align with Symbolist tendencies of the late 19th century.

• Romanticism: The emotional depth, idealized beauty, and moral complexity evoke the spirit of Romantic painting.

• Victorian Academic Art: Technically proficient and narrative-driven, it also fits within the canon of academic painting popular in Victorian England.

Where Is Pandora Painting Located Today?

Today, Waterhouse’s Pandora (1896) is housed at the Private Collection of Andrew Lloyd Webber, the famed musical theatre composer and art collector. As a result, the painting is not on permanent public display, although it has been loaned to exhibitions in the past.

This relative inaccessibility only adds to the mystique of the painting. Unlike some of Waterhouse’s more publicly displayed works (such as The Lady of Shalott, held at Tate Britain), Pandora exists almost like a hidden gem, viewed by few but long remembered by all who see it.

The Enduring Allure of Pandora

John William Waterhouse’s Pandora is much more than a depiction of a myth, it is a psychological and emotional study, a meditation on fate, temptation, and the complexity of human choice. Through his masterful use of symbolism, color, and composition, Waterhouse invites viewers not just to observe Pandora’s moment of decision, but to feel its weight, to sense the impending change, to question the morality of curiosity, and to search for hope in the aftermath of loss.

Over a century after it was painted, Pandora continues to captivate art lovers, scholars, and casual viewers alike. It reminds us that beauty and sorrow often go hand in hand, and that the myths of the past still speak deeply to the dilemmas of the present.

In the gentle light emerging from the box, and in Pandora’s soft, uncertain gaze, we find a story that never ceases to resonate.