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Conservation technologies
Beauty and vanity
Narcissus: bronze version of classical marble sculpture
Three quarter size foundry cast bronze version of Narcissus, part of the Rossie Priory collection at National Museums Liverpool. See different views of the Narcissus sculpture.
Find out more about how the bronzes are produced on The limited edition page.
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In Greek mythology, Narcissus was a hero renowned for his beauty. In one story Narcissus is the son of Cephissus, the river god and the nymph Liriope. Admired for his beauty by both sexes, he spurns all advances. His most notable admirer is the nymph Echo; she follows Narcissus on a hunting trip but is rejected and she retreats into the forest where she pines for his love until only her voice remains.
Cursed by a god for the rejection, Narcissus one day finds himself by a pool where he falls in love with himself after seeing his own reflection. Unable to touch the water for fear of destroying the reflection and unable to tear himself away from the pool Narcissus wastes away until nothing remains except a flower.
The original statue is from the Rossie Priory collection. It stands 112.5 cm tall and was carved in Greek Parian marble. It is believed to be approximately two thousand years old. It is likely that this statue was originally intended to stand next to either a pond or lake, reflecting the story of Narcissus.
The original sculpture