/internal/media/dispatcher/4824/fullHalf-figure of a Nymph (“Vivien”)1896[Fernand Khnopff]Fernand KhnopffPlaster, painted, on a gilded wooden baseIn the work of the Belgian Symbolist Fernand Khnopff we often encounter female figures and mystical hybrid creatures, swathed in an enigmatic and mysterious mood. Here we meet Vivien, a mythical enchantress from the legend of King Arthur. She stole the magical shell from the wizard Merlin and is shown holding it triumphantly in this sculpture. With half-closed eyes, seductively parted lips, and a mane of wavy red hair, the beautiful nymph is a true femme fatale. In fin-de-siècle Vienna, this type of “dangerous temptress,” who manipulated men with her erotic charms and often caused their downfall, was a popular subject in both art and literature.Sculpturehttps://sammlungtest.belvedere.at/objects/3225/rdf