Jupiter and Semele

In Gustave Moreau's Jupiter and Semele, the long tress of Semele's hair flows off her shoulder decorated like the tail of a peacock. The peacock is the bird of Juno, Jupiter's wife. It is Juno's jealous presence made visible in the very hair of her rival. It is also what will get Semele killed. In the myth, Juno tricked Semele into asking Jupiter to appear in his full divine form. The sight annihilates her. From her ashes, Jupiter extracts the foetus of Dionysus. Moreau spent decades on this canvas, encrusting every square inch with jewels, minor gods, and tiny grieving figures. He kept it in his own house, which became the Musée Gustave Moreau after his death. Now at Musée Gustave Moreau, Paris @museegustavemoreau