This picture by Gerard de Lairesse depicts the moving story of the moon goddess, Selene. Selene was struck by the sight of the extremely attractive, but mortal, shepherd, Endymion. She came across the young man while he was sleeping somewhere outside and fell in love with him instantly. Rather selfishly, she asked Zeus, the chieftain of gods, to put him into an eternal sleep. This way, Endymion could never leave her and would retain his youthful beauty forever. Every night from then on, Selene faithfully returned to kiss her loved one.
The choice for a mythological story as subject for this painting is typical for the classicist genre; their strong interest in ancient art stimulated their appropriation of Antiquity, both in style and choice of theme. De Lairesse (1641-1711) is considered one of the most important representatives of classicism in the Netherlands, being very influential both as artist and theorist.
Around 1677 the Dutch Stadtholder William III commissioned works of art from several artists to decorate his new hunting lodge in Soestdijk. This painting of Selene and Endymion was part of a series of mythological scenes painted by De Lairesse, meant for the bedroom of William's wife Mary Stuart. The story of Selene’s pure and unconditional love was probably considered appropriate for this purpose.
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