Which English painter created the 1896 oil painting titled Pandora?

John William Waterhouse created the 1896 oil painting Pandora. The work shows the mythological figure beside the container whose opening releases the troubles of humanity.

Waterhouse was an English painter associated with the later Pre-Raphaelite movement. His subjects often came from classical mythology, literature, and medieval legend, and he frequently portrayed women at moments of danger, decision, or transformation. Pandora fit this interest because the story combines beauty, curiosity, fate, and irreversible consequence.

Waterhouse’s painting should not be confused with other works called Pandora, including paintings by Dante Gabriel Rossetti and Alexandre Cabanel. The repeated title reflects the popularity of the myth among nineteenth-century European artists. Waterhouse’s version is especially recognizable for its richly colored setting and the figure’s concentrated attention on the container.