This watercolour illustration is based on the greek myth about two lovers, Leander and Hero, who were conducting a secret affair. Leander used to swim across a straight of water called the Hellespont every night to be with his lover Hero, She would guide him by lighting a lantern and thus turning her tower into a lighthouse.
Inevitably enough, you guessed it. Straight of water, light house, secret affair. Things are going to go wrong somewhere. For the summer, Leanders swim across the Hellespont was a walk in the park, well swim in the pool, a piece of cake. He’d arrive all dripping in Mediterranean sea water and bronzed by the sun. Spend a night of passion with beautiful young Hero. Then put his trunks back on and front crawl back across the Hellespont at dawn.
When the winter came (this myth seems to miss out Autumn, maybe Leander’s swim to and fro in the fall passed with no particular incident of worth to comment upon) his love was still burning red hot, the water was a bit colder and the weather a bit nastier but his passion still roared like a furnace. Here it comes, the tragic part. As Leander was crossing Hellespont one night a fierce Storm whipped up, not only was he swimming in Mountainous seas but the furious wind blow out Hero’s lantern. Leander now compass-less lost his way in the deep valleys of the enormous waves. Drowned. Dead. His body was washed up in the morning beneath Hero’s tower, She in grief and guilt i should imagine for letting that lantern go out; pitched herself out of her high window and fell to her death.

Daniel Mackie’s illustration portfolio.