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The series ‘Myths the Ancients Believed’ followed on from Dulac’s earlier classical set, ‘Love Stories the Ancients Believed In’ (1931). The subjects came from
Greek mythology, including Glaucus and Scylla, Alcyone and Ceyx and the present image of Iris and Somnus. According to the poem from Ovid’s Metamorphoses, King Ceyx drowns during a violent storm at sea. Unaware of his death, his wife, Alcyone, continues to pray to Juno for his safe return. Though a deity cannot accept prayers for a person who is already dead, Juno commands her messenger, Iris, to travel to the underworld to meet with Somnus, the
God of Sleep. Dulac’s image shows Iris travelling to the silent, dark cave of Somnus on her rainbow. Her blindingly bright clothing wakes Somnus from a deep sleep, and she instructs Somnus to fashion a ‘true dream’ to reveal the truth to Alcyone. Iris is then forced to flee back up the rainbow, as the seeping power of Somnus's drowsiness begins to overwhelm her. Somnus sends his son, Morpheus, to Alcyone’s bedroom, where he takes the form of a dripping-wet,
deceased Ceyx to inform Alcyone of her husband’s death.
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