The blog is the brain child of Mermaid-Art collector Douglas H. Jones and artist/author, James Gurney.The artworks in this collection have been created by artists from all over the world, and span more than a century of artistic expression.
Husband and wife team, Doug and James have created this blog as a place for art lovers to visit and learn about the historical context of mermaid art, as well as to share their own research and excitement about this unique genre of art.
If you love mermaids or sea creatures you will enjoy browsing through these pages. And if you are interested in learning more about how these beautiful paintings were made, please check out our book, The Art of Mermayd: An Illustrated History of Mermaids from 1800 to the Present Day .
Mermayd (French for Mermaid) is a blog about the history of mermaid art, with a particular focus on antique illustrations. Mermaids are a popular subject matter throughout history and in different cultures as they were believed to be creatures of great beauty, female yet partly fish-like, whose melodious voices would lure sailors to their deaths.
Mermayd is dedicated to bringing you the most comprehensive collection of mermaid art available on the web today. Our goal is to make it easier for you to find what you’re looking for – whether it’s an image, artist biography or information regarding the theme of your next project. We’ve done our best to ensure that there are no copyright restrictions on the materials that we have available for you here.
A blog about the history of mermaid art. Mermaids and other fantasy creatures are a part of everyday life for me. I draw them, paint them, sculpt them, and sew them. I love to collect all things mermaid, especially vintage and antique mermaid collectibles. We even have a full size Mermaid in our living room! I’ve collected my thoughts and photos together on this blog so that I can share my hobby with others who think it’s as cool as I do!!
The Art of Mermaids is designed to be a place where both the artist and non-artist can enjoy the art of mermaids. It is also a blog about the history of this art and provides a place for artists to show their work.
Mermaids are an ancient symbol of sexual desire and fertility. The mermaid is also a symbol of the divine feminine. She represents the water element, and all things that flow from it: intuition, emotions, dreams, healing, and mystical knowledge.
The history of mermaid art dates back to ancient Mesopotamia, where goddesses were worshipped as mermaids. The Sumerians believed that their goddess Atargatis transformed into a mermaid out of shame for accidentally killing her human lover.
It wasn’t until the 19th Century that mermaids surfaced in the mainstream art world. In 1819, John Ruskin published his book “The King of the Golden River,” which included a detailed description of a mermaid. The story was so popular that artists began to include mermaids in their works in homage to Ruskin’s tale.
In the mid-1800s, many artists began painting multiple versions of the same image — a trend called “mermaid multiplication.” There were so many variations on this theme that they became almost self-parodying. This led to an increase in the number of octopuses in paintings. Since there are no female octopuses or male mermaids, this trend doesn’t seem to make
Mermaids are a part of mythology and folklore worldwide. Stories of the mermaid can be found in ancient Greece, where they were called Sirens, and in Arabia and China. Mermaids are associated with the ocean because they inhabit the sea.
Nowadays we can see mermaids on T-shirts, key chains, books, magazines, toys and even tattoos. The mermaid has been depicted in many different ways over time. The earliest depictions of mermaids were made by Assyrians during approximately 6th century BC. The images of these mermaids show them as having the upper body of a woman and the tail of a fish.
The popularity of mermaid art is increasing rapidly!
