Guy Head enrolled at the Royal Academy schools in 1778, and over the next few years he exhibited a variety of works in London. In 1785, Head moved to Amsterdam where he painted portraits for the Hope family of merchants; he subsequently moved to Italy. In 1787, Head was elected to the academy at Florence and the following year he settled in Rome. He stayed for eleven years, establishing a successful portrait and history painting practice.
Guy Head's "Iris Carrying the Water of the River Styx to Olympus for the Gods to Swear By." In Greek mythology, Iris was the personification of the rainbow and the messenger of the gods. Here, she is shown in the Underworld, floating over the River Styx holding a golden jar that Zeus, the king of the gods, had instructed her to fill with river water and carry back to Mount Olympus. Zeus used the sacred water in a ritual designed to secure oaths of obedience from other gods and goddesses. This is a rare example of strict Neoclassicism in British painting, and the profile pose and transparent drapery are inspired by classical models, including ancient Greek and Roman vases.
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