Saturday, June 2, 2012

Mythology in the Art

The presence of supernatural beings have been depicted uncountable times through the pass of time in the history of art. This exhibition presents some artworks that form part of the collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, which illustrates ancient and contemporary cultures from all regions of the world that have represented mythological gods, fantastic creatures and legendary events on a wide variety of media. The purposes of creating those artworks probably were to express some believes and interpretations of the metaphysical world, which is an universal mystery. No matter how hard we try to explain if these allegories were real or not,  they still remain unanswered.

In the Greek culture, many gods and mythical stories were represented in marble sculptures, and scenes painted in terracotta vessels. Greeks believed in the presence of gods living with humans on earth, yet even though they looked in the same way, gods were immortals, had supernatural  powers and could change their form. The "Marble Statue of Aphrodite" depicts how the goddess of love and beauty looked like. She was a symbol of well being and fertility, who had emerged from the sea. In her story, she fell in love with a mortal man, and gave birth to a semi goddess. People who were devoted to her, were favored with charms, beauty and protection. Aphrodite represents one of the deities of the Greek mythology, which was a great influence in the European culture, presented in the fine arts and literature.

However, in the oil paintings of the European fine arts, there are present figures of angels. These celestial beings were connected with the idea of  spirituality. Angels were the messengers of god, and were guardians and protectors of people as well. In  the painting "Joan Of Arc" the scene depicts the martyr in her parent's garden  when she encountered a divine revelation. According to her story, she was instructed by a divine guidance and lead the French army against the English crown. Later, she was captured and accused of heresy. She died burned at the stake when she was 19 years old. Moreover, Joan of Arc was beatified and canonized in the years to come. Joan of Arc is a mythological figure that lived some legendary events and who also has been a big influence in the European paintings and literary works..

Therefore, in the Asmat culture of Indonesia, drums made of  wood, lizard skin, bee wax and leaves, were mythical objects used in ceremonies and feasts. According to their believes, the "Drum" beats, and the rhythm of the sounds made some craved sculptures to dance and become alive. They had a connection between the idea of the creation of mankind and drums. These objects were the only musical instrument that they played, since they had a spiritual character. Drums were not only a tool to communicate with their ancestors, but also to  guide the traveling spirits to the intangible space when they die. For the Asmat culture, craving statues and playing drums were a mythical act of creation.

To sum up, mythologies are present in all the cultures around the world. Ancient and contemporary civilizations have found their way to express their concerns about the ethereal ideas of spirituality through complex artworks, such as marble statues, oil paintings and crafted musical instruments, between others.





"Marble Statue of Aphrodite" 1st or 2nd Century a.d, Marble. Greek and Roman art


"Terracotta Kylix: Eye Cup" CA 530 b.C, Terracotta, Paint. Greek and Roman Art.


"Marble Capital and Finial in the Form of a Sphinx" CA 530 b.C, Marble, Parian. Greek and Roman Art



"Elderly Man Flanked by Egyptian Gods" A.D 250, Tempera, Sycamore. Egyptian Art.


Pietro Di Cristoforo Vannuci, "The Resurrection," 1502, Fresco. European paintings


Abraham Van Cuylenborch, "Bacchus and Nymphs in a Landscape" 1640,Oil on wood. European Paintings


"The Unicorn is Attacked" 1505, Wool. Silk, Silver. European Paintings


"Seated Figure Enser (Incensario)" 5th-6th Century, Ceramic. Arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas



"Ornamental Mask" 2nd -3rd Century, Silver, copper, shell. Arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas


"Masked Figured Pendant" 10th- 16th Century, Gold. Arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas



Chief Omas "Drum" Mid 20th Century, Wood, lizard skin, bee's wax, sago palm leaves, fiber, paint. Arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas



"Krishna Subduing Kaliya, the Snake Demon" CA 1785, Ink, Watercolor, Paper. Asian Art


Hans Baldung, "The witches Sabbath" 1510, Chiaroscuro, woodcut blocks, gray and black print. European Paintings


Paul Gauguin, "Ia Orana Maria" 1891,  Oil on canvas. European Paintings


Jules Bastien-Lepage, "Joan of Arc" 1879, Oil on canvas. European Paintings


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