Myths Ancient Greece are exciting adventures of gods, heroes and evil creatures. They are interesting in every way.
This is entertainment worse than Hollywood blockbusters. And the opportunity to understand the completely different worldview of people of pre-Christian civilization.
We know about myths not only thanks to ancient authors.
Artists who lived before our era also actively created frescoes with mythological subjects. And some of them have survived to this day.
Dionysus (Bacchus) meets Ariadne on the island of Naxos. Fresco at Stabiae, Villa of Ariadne, 1 BC. But for almost 1.5 thousand years, myths disappeared from art.
They reappeared in painting only in . In the 15th century, sculptures from the times of the Roman Empire (copies of works by ancient Greek masters) began to be dug up in Rome. Interest in Ancient Greece began to grow. It became fashionable and then mandatory to read ancient authors.
And already in the 16th and 17th centuries, myths were one of the most popular subjects in painting.
Mythological paintings for the modern viewer
When you are in a museum, you are unlikely to linger for long in front of paintings with mythological subjects. For one simple reason.
We are little familiar with the myths of Ancient Greece.
Yes, we know Hercules. Have you heard about Perseus and Andromeda? And let's name a couple ancient gods like Zeus and Athena.
But who now can boast that they have read at least Homer’s Odyssey? I read it myself only when I was 30 years old.
And if you don’t understand the plot of the picture, it will be difficult to enjoy it. Because a barrier will arise in the form of bewilderment, “Who are all these people?”
But if the plot is clear, then the picturesque features of the picture are immediately revealed before our clear-eyed eyes.
This article is a small collection of mythological paintings.
I will help you first understand their heroes and symbols. And then we will enjoy all the advantages of these masterpieces together.
Botticelli. Spring (guide to the painting). 1482 Uffizi Gallery, Florence Botticelli was the first in history European painting(after the ancient Greeks and Romans) began to depict mythological heroes.
Botticelli's mythological paintings are sometimes unflatteringly called pictorial comics. The heroes stand in a row. They don't interact with each other. All that remains is to add speech bubbles.
But it was Botticelli who was the first, 1.5 thousand years later, to depict myths. So he can.
Moreover, this arrangement in a row does not prevent the same “Spring” by Botticelli from being one of the most beautiful paintings in the world.
“Spring” is also one of the most mysterious paintings. There are many interpretations of it. I chose the one that personally seems most plausible to me. And she supplemented it with her own thoughts.
2. Titian. Bacchus and Ariadne
Titian. Bacchus and Andromeda (guide to the painting). 1620 National Gallery London After Botticelli, many artists depicted myths during the Renaissance. But the most prolific was Titian.
His myths are completely different. These are already specific stories, like “The Meeting of Bacchus and Andromeda on the island of Naxos.”
These are also impetuous movements, like the leap of the god of wine from a chariot to the feet of a beauty. These are emotions expressed in poses, such as Andromeda’s surprise and fear. And also a realistic landscape, which is the background for the heroes.
3. Rubens. Perseus and Andromeda
Peter Paul Rubens. Perseus saves Andromeda (guide to the picture). 1622 Hermitage, St. Petersburg After Titian, mythological paintings finally came into fashion. The artists of subsequent generations learned all the lessons of the great master. But they made the compositions much more complicated.
The same Rubens literally “pushed” his heroes’ bodies together. And before us is an incredible interweaving of arms, heads and legs.
This is why it is so difficult for us to enjoy mythological paintings of the 17th century. Not only are the plots not always known, but all the characters also need to be seen.
So, the golden time of mythological paintings is the 16th-17th centuries.
In the 18th century, they were slightly displaced by the quite earthly and sweet beauties of Rococo.
And by the end of the 19th century they were replaced by realism and impressionism. Myths have finally gone out of fashion.
But mythological paintings still hang in museums. After all, they are a very important cultural layer. And only small gaps in our knowledge prevent us from fully enjoying them.
MYTHOLOGICAL GENRE (from the Greek μυθολογία - collection of myths) - a genre of visual art, the plot of which is drawn from myths.
Mythological genre for-mi-ru-et-xia in el-li-ni-stic and Roman art, in the course of you-de-le-niya system-te-we genres from syn-cre-tiz-ma art Kha-ich-noy traditional culture, the only one with which there was a myth.
Thus, the emergence of the mythological genre is conjugate with the de-mi-fo-lo-gi-za-tsi of consciousness; the myth is perceived as artistic, you-we-sat, its heroes are subject-to-all-possible trans-form-ma-ci- yam and per-re-os-cape-le-ni-yam: they appear in the former situation, they serve as examples for -ve-de-niya, sometimes-where-you-are-under-the-os-meya-yu-or-you-stu-pa-yut in the quality-of-st-ve al-le-go-riy, trans. -so-ni-fi-ka-tion.
If in medieval art the Christian culture almost completely replaces the “pagan”, then in the era The rise of the an-tic-myths of the re-os-mys-li-va-yut-sya and getting closer to the Christian-sti-an-ski-mi , are filled with new al-le-gorical co-der-zha-ni-em (A. del Pol-lai-o-lo, S. Bot-ti-chel-li, A . Man-te-nya, Pie-ro di Ko-zi-mo, F. del Cos-sa, Ra-fa-el, Kor-red-jo, B. Perutz-tsi, J. Ro-ma- but, George-jo-ne, Ti-tsi-an, P. We-ro-ne-ze, Ya. Tin-to-ret-to, A. Bron-zi-no, J. Va-za-ri, L. Kra-nach the Elder, J. Gu-zhon, N. del'Abbate, hu-dozh-ni-ki Fon-tenb-lo school, etc.).
“Me-ta-mor-fo-zy” of Ovid, along with the city-based epic, has become the main source of mythology -logical plots in the art of ba-rock-ko and class-si-tsiz-ma of the 17th century (sculpture by J.L. Ber-ni-ni, painting by Ka-ra -va-jo, brothers Kar-rach-chi, J.B. Tie-po-lo, P.P. Ru-ben-sa, Rem-brand-ta, D. Ve-la-ske-sa, N. Pus-se-na, K. Lor-re-na, etc.), ro-ko-ko (F. Bu-she, J.O. Fra-go-na-ra) and class-si-tsiz-ma second half of the XVIII - early XIX centuries, when the mythological genre is brought closer to historical and religious life, full of ideas of class. cystic images (sculpture by A. Ka-no-vy, I.G. Sha-do-va and B. Tor-wald-sena, painting by J.L. Da -vi-da, J.O.D. En-gra, A.R. Meng-sa, V. Ka-much-chi-ni, etc.) or po-lu-tragic re-os -mys-le-nie in zhi-vo-pi-si ro-man-tiz-ma (F. Goya, E. De-lac-roy).
Ut-ra-tiv deep subtext and plastic island of style in the late modern and salon art of the second half of the 19th century, the mythological genre you -ro-dil-xia in the top-no-st-no-il-lu-st-ra-tive pro-iz-ve-de-nia (V.A. Bug-ro, L. Al- ma-Ta-de-ma, F. Ley-ton, etc.), received a sa-ti-ric interpretation in the series of li-to-gra-fiy O. Do-mier.
In the 19th century, blah-go-da-rya in-te-re-su ro-man-ti-kov to the national roots and the medieval and national culture, into the art of followed the same Germanic, Celtic, Indian and Slavic myths. At the same time, in the creative work of pre-ra-fa-eli-tov and mas-te-rov, no-oi-dea-liz-ma is possible in- te-res to an-tich-noy te-ma-ti-ke (painting by H. von Ma-re, A. Bök-li-na, sculp-tu-ra by A. Khil-deb-ran- Yes).
The mythological genre of shi-ro-ko is represented in the art of the 20th century, based on the symbolism and modernity of the 19th-20th centuries (G. Mo- ro, M. De-ni, F. Wal-lot-ton, F. von Stuck, G. Klimt, A. Mu-ha), ar-hai-zi-ruyushchey non-classified si-ki (A . May-ol, E.A. Burdel, etc.) and avant-gar-di-st-skoy zhi-vo-pi-si and graf-ki (M. Beck-man, P. Klee, P. Pi-kas-so). In-di-vi-du-al-noe mi-fo-crea-che-st-vo from-li-cha-et pro-iz-ve-de-niya mas-te-row sur-real-liz-ma . That-ta-li-tar-noe art-in Italy, Germany kul-ti-vi-ro-va-lo mythological genre. An-ti-to-ta-li-tar-naya in-ter-pre-ta-tion mi-fa ha-rak-terna for pre-sta-vi-te-ley po-smo-der-niz-ma ( K.M. Ma-ria-ni, J. Shaw, etc.).
In Russia, the mythological genre has gained popularity since the 18th century, especially in the art of the classical art of the late 18th - early 19th centuries (sculpture S.S. Pi-me-no-va, V.I. De-mut-ma-li-nov-sko-go, I.P. Mar-to-sa, painting by A.P. -sen-ko, P.I. So-ko-lo-va, K.P. Bryul-lo-va, A.A.
In the second half of the 19th - early 20th centuries, the in-ter-res to national folk-lo-ru gave its own-different inter-pre-ta-tion of the mythological genre in style le mo-turf: fabulous images of life V.M. Vas-ne-tso-va and M.A. Lie-be-la, graph-fi-ki I.Ya. Bi-li-bi-na and E.D. Po-le-no-howl, sculptures S.T. Ko-nyon-ko-wa and K. Er-zi. Slavic and eastern mythology are represented in the paintings of N.S. Gon-cha-ro-voy and N.K. Re-ri-ha. The myths of El-la-dy were pre-lo-mi-ly in the pro-iz-de-ni-yah of Vl.A. Se-ro-va and L.S. Buck-sta.
IN contemporary art the mythological genre is represented by individual works on the antique theme of P.P. Kon-cha-lov-sko-go, V.N. Yakov-le-va, E.I. Un-known-no-go, etc., as well as nearby about-of-the-doctors of the USSR, sacred to the heroes national epics.
At the turn of the XX-XXI centuries, we see the rise of the mythological genre in Russian art, and A.G. is turning to it . Ak-ri-tas, D.D. Ka-min-ker, M.M. She-mya-kin, Z.K. Tse-re-te-li and many more. etc.
Historical genre
Mythological genre
Victor Vasnetsov."Christ Pantocrator", 1885-1896.
Historical genre, one of the main genres of fine art, dedicated to the recreation of past and present events that have historical significance. The historical genre is often intertwined with other genres - everyday genre(the so-called historical-everyday genre), portrait (portrait-historical compositions), landscape ("historical landscape"), battle genre. The evolution of the historical genre is largely determined by the development of historical views, and it was finally formed together with the formation of a scientific view of history (completely only in the 18th–19th centuries).
Victor Vasnetsov."The Word of God", 1885-1896
Its beginnings go back to conditionally symbolic compositions Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia, to mythological images
Ancient Greece, to documentary-narrative reliefs of ancient Roman triumphal arches and columns. Actually historical genre began to take shape Italian art Renaissance -
in the battle-historical works of P. Uccello, cardboards and paintings by A. Mantegna on themes ancient history, interpreted in an ideally generalized, timeless manner by the compositions of Leonardo da Vinci, Titian, J. Tintoretto.
Titian."The Rape of Europa", 1559-1592
Jacopo Tintoretto. "Ariadne, Bacchus and Venus."
1576, Doge's Palace, Venice
Jacopo Tintoretto. "The Bathing of Susanna"
Second floor. XVI century
Titian. "Bacchus and Ariadne". 1523-1524
In the 17th–18th centuries. in the art of classicism, the historical genre came to the fore, including religious, mythological and historical subjects; Within the framework of this style, both a type of solemn historical-allegorical composition (C. Lebrun) and paintings full of ethical pathos and inner nobility depicting the exploits of heroes of antiquity (N. Poussin) took shape.
Nicolas Poussin."Landscape with Orpheus and Eurydice", 1648
The turning point in the development of the genre came in the 17th century. works by D. Velazquez, who contributed to the image historical conflict Spaniards and Dutch deep objectivity and humanity, P.P. Rubens, who freely combined historical reality with fantasy and allegory, Rembrandt, who indirectly embodied memories of the events of the Dutch revolution in compositions full of heroism and inner drama.
P. Rubens. "Union of Earth and Water"
1618, Hermitage, St. Petersburg
P. Rubens."Diana Going Hunting", 1615
P. Rubens."The artist with his wife Isabella Brant", 1609
Rubens."Venus and Adonis", 1615
Metropolitan, New York
In the 2nd half of the 18th century, during the Enlightenment, the historical genre was given educational and political significance: paintings by J.L. David, depicting the heroes of republican Rome, became the embodiment of feat in the name of civic duty, sounded like a call for revolutionary struggle; in years French Revolution 1789–1794 he depicted its events in a heroically elated spirit, thereby equating reality and the historical past. The same principle underlies historical painting masters of French romanticism (T. Gericault, E. Delacroix), as well as the Spaniard F. Goya, who saturated the historical genre with a passionate, emotional perception of the drama of historical and modern social conflicts.
Eugene Delacroix. "Women of Algeria in their chambers."
1834, Louvre, Paris
In the 19th century, rise national identity, searches historical roots their peoples determined the romantic mood in the historical painting of Belgium (L. Galle), the Czech Republic (J. Manes), Hungary (V. Madaras), Poland (P. Michalovsky). The desire to revive the spirituality of the Middle Ages and Early Renaissance determined the retrospective nature of the work of the Pre-Raphaelites (D. G. Rossetti, J. E. Milles, H. Hunt, W. Morris, E. Burne-Jones, J. F. Watts, W. Crane and others) in Great Britain and the Nazarenes (Overbeck , P. Cornelius, F. Pforr, J. Schnorr von Carolsfeld, etc.) in Germany.
George Frederick Watts."Ariadne on the Island of Naxos".1875
Edward Burne-Jones."The Mirror of Venus", 1870-1876
Edward Burne-Jones."Star of Bethlehem", 1887-1890
Mythological genre (from the gr. mythos - legend) - a genre of fine art, dedicated to events and heroes about whom the myths of ancient peoples tell. All peoples of the world have myths, legends, and traditions, and they constitute the most important source artistic creativity. The mythological genre originates in late antiquity and medieval art, when Greco-Roman myths ceased to be beliefs and became literary stories with moral and allegorical content. The mythological genre itself was formed during the Renaissance, when ancient legends provided rich subjects for the paintings of S. Botticelli, A. Mantegna, Giorgione, and frescoes by Raphael.
Sandro Botticelli."Slander", 1495
Sandro Botticelli."Venus and Mars", 1482-1483
In the 17th century - at the beginning of the 19th century, the idea of paintings of the mythological genre expanded significantly. They serve to embody a high artistic ideal (N. Poussin, P. Rubens), bring people closer to life (D. Velazquez, Rembrandt, P. Batoni), and create a festive spectacle (F. Boucher, G. B. Tiepolo). In the 19th century, the mythological genre served as the norm for high, ideal art (sculpture by I. Martos, paintings
J.-L. Davida, J.-D. Ingra, A. Ivanova).
Pompeo Batoni."The Marriage of Cupid and Psyche", 1756
Pompeo Batoni."Chiron returns Achilles to his mother Thetis"
1770, Hermitage, St. Petersburg
Pompeo Batoni."The Temperance of Scipio Africanus"
1772, Hermitage, St. Petersburg
Along with the topics ancient mythology in the 19th-20th centuries. Themes of Germanic, Celtic, Indian, and Slavic myths became popular in art.
Gustave Moreau."Night", 1880
At the beginning of the 20th century, symbolism and Art Nouveau style revived interest in the mythological genre (G. Moreau, M. Denis,
V. Vasnetsov, M. Vrubel). He received a modern rethinking in the sculpture of A. Maillol, A. Bourdelle,
S. Konenkov, graphics by P. Picasso.
Lawrence Alma-Tadema. "The Finding of Moses"
1904, private collection
Victor Vasnetsov."God of Hosts", 1885-1896
Pre-Raphaelites (from Latin prae - before and Raphael), group English artists and writers who united in 1848 in the “Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood”, founded by the poet and painter D.G. Rossetti, painters J. E. Millais and H. Hunt. The Pre-Raphaelites sought to revive the naive religiosity of medieval and early Renaissance (“pre-Raphaelian”) art, contrasting it with cold academicism, the roots of which they saw in artistic culture High Renaissance. Since the late 1850s. Artists W. Morris, E. Burne-Jones, W. Crane, J. F. Watts and others grouped around Rossetti. Pre-Raphaelite painting developed towards stylization, more complex planar ornamentation, and a mystical coloring of the figurative structure; The activities of the Pre-Raphaelites (primarily Morris and Burne-Jones) to revive English decorative and applied arts were widespread. The ideas and practice of the Pre-Raphaelites largely influenced the development of symbolism in fine arts and literature (J. W. Waterhouse, W. Pater, O. Wilde) and the Art Nouveau style in the fine arts (O. Beardsley and others) in Great Britain.
E. Burns-Jones."Rosehip. The Sleeping Princess", 1870-1890
Ew Burns-Jones."Aphrodite and Galatea", 1868-1878
George Frederick Watts. "Orlando Pursuing Fata Morgana"
1848, private collection
Nazarenes (German: Nazarener), semi-ironic nickname for a group of German and Austrian masters early romanticism, united in 1809 in the "Union of St. Luke"; comes from "alla nazarena", the traditional name for a hairstyle with long hair, known from the self-portraits of A. Dürer and again brought into fashion by F. Overbeck, one of the founders of the Nazarene brotherhood. Since 1810, the Nazarenes (Overbeck, P. Cornelius, F. Pforr, J. Schnorr von Carolsfeld, etc.) worked in Rome, occupying an empty the monastery of San Isidoro and living in the image of medieval religious brotherhoods and artistic associations. Having chosen the art of Dürer, Perugino, and the early Raphael as a role model, the Nazarenes sought to revive the spirituality of art, which, in their opinion, had been lost in the culture of modern times, but their works, including collective ones (paintings in the Bartholdi house in Rome, 1816–1817; now in the National Gallery, Berlin). not without a touch of cold stylization. In the 1820s and 1830s, most of the Nazarenes returned to their homeland. Their practical activities and especially theoretical statements had a certain impact on the neo-romantic movements of the 2nd half of the 19th century, including the Pre-Raphaelites in Great Britain and the masters of neo-idealism in Germany.
Ferdinand Hodler. "The Retreat of Marignan". 1898
Since the 1850s, salon historical compositions also became widespread, combining lush representativeness with pretentiousness, and small historical and everyday paintings, recreating in precise detail the “color of the era” (V. Bouguereau, F. Leighton, L. Alma-Tadema in Great Britain , G. Moreau, P. Delaroche and E. Meissonnier in France, M. von Schwind in Austria, etc.).
Lawrence Alma-Tadema."Sappho and Alkaes".1881
Gustave Moreau."Oedipus and the Sphinx"
Gustave Moreau."Chimera", 1862
Section VI. Historical genre and its varieties
Topic 27. Mythological genre
Myths, legends and traditions are an important source of artistic creativity of peoples in the early stages of their history. This is a legend about the ancient beliefs of people about the origin of the Earth, natural phenomena, gods, heroes, the Universe.
IN works of art The mythological genre depicts not real, but imaginary events and heroes who are endowed with extraordinary abilities.
Mythological genre - images of events and heroes of myths and legends various peoples world in fine arts.
Nicholas Roerich. Svyatogor
The mythological genre began to stand out among other genres of fine art when myths turned from beliefs into literary works, images of which were depicted by artists. Ancient myths reflect the life and adventures of the gods and the exploits of heroes.
The mythological genre flourished during the Renaissance, when ancient legends encouraged artists to create paintings and sculptures with corresponding subjects. Works of the mythological genre personified the high ideals of the art of antiquity. Subsequently, themes from myths were added to ancient myths in art. different nations: Scandinavian, Slavic, Indian and the like.
Compare the depiction of a mythological image in sculpture and painting.
Diana of Versailles. Roman copy from the Greek original by Leochares
Walter Crane. Diana and Endymion
The plots of ancient myths became widespread in painting, sculpture, book graphics.
Consider works of the mythological genre. Find out what ancient myths they illustrate.
Orpheus, fragment of an old mosaic from Tarsus
Sculpture of Neptune (m. Copenhagen, Denmark)
Edward Burne-Jones. Mirror of Venus
IN different times Mythological images attracted artists from many countries, who embodied them in their own way.
Consider works of the mythological genre in graphics and painting. By what means artistic expression did the artists reveal an episode from the myth?
Mikhail Pikov. Hector's farewell to Andromache
Angelina Kaufman. Hector's farewell to Andromache
Compare the mythological image of Europe as interpreted by various artists (composition, color, decorativeness, etc.).
Virginia Sterett. Europe on a bull
Valentin Serov. The Kidnapping of Europa
Compare the image of the legendary Trojan hero Aeneas in wall paintings and book graphics. Pay attention to clothes, hats, weapons. Can you notice national motifs in the illustrations of the Ukrainian graphic artist?
Wounded Aeneas. Wall painting in Pompeii
Giovanni Battisto Tiepolo. Venus appears to Aeneas off the coast of Carthage (behind Virgil)
Georgy Narbug. Illustration for I. Kotlyarevsky’s poem “Aeneid”
Practical task
Draw an illustration of the ancient mythological story that interested you most ( art materials optional).
Pay attention to creating an expressive, characteristic image of the main character. Draw clothes, things inherent in a long-ago era.
Examples of antique attire, weapons, ornaments
Questions and tasks
1. What ancient myths are common in fine art?
2. Name the types of fine art in which the mythological genre has gained popularity.
Independent work for the curious
1. Ask what works of sculpture dedicated to mythological characters antiquity, exist on the territory of Ukraine.
2. Watch cartoons based on the myths of Ancient Greece.
Mythological genre
Mythological genre
a type of fine art that draws themes from the mythologies of different peoples. The peculiarity of the mythological genre is the free interpretation of legendary plots. It developed in ancient art, and reached its peak during the Renaissance.
Big explanatory dictionary in cultural studies.. Kononenko B.I. . 2003.
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