Michelangelo battle of the centaurs description. The demigod is strong, bacchantes, centaurs

After a copper-legged fallow hunt that lasted whole year, Hercules did not rest for long. Eurystheus again gave him an assignment: Hercules had to kill the Erymanthian boar. This boar, possessing monstrous strength, lived on Mount Erymanthes (1) and devastated... ... Encyclopedia of Mythology

This term has other meanings, see Mortal Kombat. Mortal Kombat: Defenders of the Empire Mortal Kombat: Defenders of the Realm ... Wikipedia

The battle of the centaurs with the lapiths. Painting by Sebastiano Ricci Lapitha (ancient Greek ... Wikipedia

centaurs- Battle of centaurs with beasts. Mosaic from Hadrian's Villa. 1st half of the 2nd century. n. e. Battle of centaurs with beasts. Mosaic from Hadrian's Villa. 1st half of the 2nd century. n. e. Centaurs in the myths of the ancient Greeks are wild creatures, half-humans, half-horses, inhabitants of the mountains and... ... encyclopedic Dictionary"The World History"

The battle of the centaurs with the Lapiths of Caenei (ancient Greek ... Wikipedia

The battle of the centaurs with the lapiths Caeneus (Greek Καινεύς, lat. Caeneus) character ancient Greek mythology, one of the Lapiths, a mythical tribe that lived in Northern Thessaly. According to Homer's version of the genealogy, the father of Leonteus, the son of Corona. According to another... ... Wikipedia

- (Centauri, Κένταυροι), i.e. “buffalo hunters”. Fantastic people who lived in Thessaly, half-gods and half-horses. They were defeated by the Lapiths at the wedding of Pirithous and expelled from their country. Chiron was considered the most remarkable centaur. Encyclopedia of Mythology

Michelangelo "Madonna of the Stairs", c. 1490 ... Wikipedia

This term has other meanings, see Michelangelo (meanings). Wikipedia has articles about other people with this surname, see Buonarroti. Michelangelo Buonarroti ... Wikipedia

Art gave me fiction to tyrants, to gods, and I listened without arguing... Wikipedia

Books

• Warriors of the Storm, Stan Nichols. In search of the last “star,” the orcs leave the hospitable centaurs and go to Rafetview. The city is besieged by the Uni, supporters of the One God. A large army comes there under...
• The History of the Centaur, Dyachenko S.S. “The History of the Centaur” is a children's book by famous adult writers Marina and Sergei Dyachenko. Its hero is the kind and wise Sebastian, the last of the tribe of centaurs that once lived on Earth...

Battle of the Lapiths with the Centaurs Centaurs attacked the ancient Greek tribe of the Lapiths during a wedding feast in order to kidnap the bride. The Lapiths naturally entered the battle. Despite the physical superiority of the centaurs, victory in the centauromachy went to the Lapiths. It is difficult to see the centaurs in the relief of the young Michelangelo. It is filled with a mass of beautiful, athletic lapiths. Through the perfection of bodies, Michelangelo shows how strong they are in spirit. The ancient principle of kalokagathia is the expression of inner virtues through external beauty- forever included in Michelangelo’s work.

Madonna of the Stairs The desire to show the spiritual power of Christ forces Michelangelo to endow the baby Jesus with a powerful torso. Madonna's figure also looks very impressive. Little John playing on the stairs only emphasizes its greatness.

In the works of Michelangelo a theme appeared that would become the main one in his work: the image heroic man, filled with gigantic spiritual and physical strength, inspired by the spirit of struggle and daring.

Pieta (mourning) is a sculpture that made the artist famous. Silent mourning is devoid of expressive facial expressions and gestures. Madonna seems petrified in her Order for a sculpture of immense sadness and the group was received by love. thanks to the guarantee of the banker Jacopo Galli. According to the contract, the master was obliged to complete the work in a year, and received for it

Michelangelo argued that such a young face of the Virgin Mary, holding the body of her 33-year-old son in her lap, is the result of her sinlessness. Search for yourself and read the story of how the Pieta became Michelangelo's only signed sculpture.

The contract contains the words of the guarantor, “I, Jacopo Galli, promise your Eminence that the above-mentioned Michelangelo will perform the work you need within a year and that it will be best work made of marble, existing today, and that no master today will make it better." Time has confirmed the words of Galli, who turned out to be a far-sighted and subtle connoisseur of art. "The Lamentation of Christ" is still irresistibly affecting with the perfection and depth of artistic solution. You can do it yourself learn about the story of how the statue was attacked and damaged by a madman. Today the Pietà can be seen

On the Uffizi Gallery website, find out for yourself what kind of figures are depicted in the background. http://www. uffizi. org/ru/%D 1%8 D%D 0%BA% D 1%81%D 0%BF%D 0%BE%D 0%BD%D 0%B 0%D 1%82%D 1% 8 B/%D 0%BC%D 0%B 0%D 0 %B 4%D 0%BE%D 0%BD%D 0%B 0%D 0%B 4%D 0%BE%D 0 %BD%D 0%B 8%D 0%BC%D 0%B 8%D 0%BA%D 0%B 5%D 0 %BB%D 0%B 0%D 0%BD%D 0% B 4%D 0%B 6%D 0%B 5%D 0%BB%D 0%BE/ Madonna Doni This is one of the first paintings masters Pay attention to how, with the help of chiaroscuro, he “sculpts” the figures into the illusion of a convex relief.

At the end of the 15th and beginning of the 16th centuries. in response to foreign invasion, people in a number of regions of Italy rise to fight tyranny. The Medici princes were expelled in Florence and a republic was established. These events inspired Michelangelo to create one of the most significant

Michelangelo focuses on the ancient approach to constructing a free-standing figure. Compare the pose of Michelangelo's David with the pose of Doryphoros by the ancient Greek sculptor Traditionally David Polycletus. depicted with the head of the defeated giant Goliath. Michelangelo chooses the moment when the young shepherd is still just David

Pope Julius II entrusts Michelangelo with the construction of his tomb The tomb of Pope Julius II in Rome in the Basilica of San Pietro in Vincoli (St. Peter in Chains)

According to the original plan, Michelangelo was supposed to create 40 sculptures for the tomb in 5 years. But the project was changing all the time. As a result, over 40 years, Michelangelo created only 5 statues.

Saint Matthew the Evangelist Matthew seems to be trying to get out of the thickness of the stone. The unfinished statue for the tomb of Julius II perfectly illustrates Michelangelo's idea that the statue is already encased in a piece of stone - the sculptor's task is only to free it.

Moses Old Testament prophet is depicted at the moment when he learns that during his absence his people created a golden calf and began to worship it. And now Moses is ready to break the tablets of the Covenant (tables with the Ten Commandments). The horns on Moses' head are the result of an unfortunate mistake by the translator, who misinterpreted the word SHINE as HORNS.

A chained slave Slaves of earthly passions, slaves of the materiality of this world were supposed to decorate lower tier tombs. How often we are overcome by the desire to subordinate the desires of the body to the will. But a little time passes, and our determination fades, only to flare up again later. Walking around the statue, you can clearly see these movements of the soul:

A dying slave His face is covered in a blissful smile: he will finally be freed from the need to fight earthly passions. No slave statues were installed in the tomb of Julius II. By the will of fate, they ended up in France and are now exhibited in the Louvre.

2.4.3 Bas-relief “Battle of the Centaurs” (c. 1492)

“At this very time, on the advice of Poliziano, a man of extraordinary learning, Michelangelo, on a piece of marble received from his lord, carved the battle of Hercules with the centaurs, so beautiful that sometimes, looking at it now, one can take it for the work not of a youth, but of a master highly valued and tested in the theory and practice of this art. Nowadays it is kept in memory of him in the house of his nephew Lionardo, as a rare thing, which is what it is” Vasari. The exact name of the sculptural group is “The Battle of the Centaurs with the Lapiths.”

Marble relief"Battle of the Centaurs" (Florence, Buonarroti Palace) has the appearance of a Roman sarcophagus and depicts a scene from Greek myth about the battle of the Lapith people with semi-animal centaurs who attacked them during a wedding feast.

The plot was suggested by Angelo Poliziano (1454-1494), the closest friend of Lorenzo the Magnificent. Its meaning is the victory of civilization over barbarism. According to the myth, the Lapiths were victorious, but in Michelangelo's interpretation the outcome of the battle is unclear. The sculptor created compact and tense masses of naked bodies, demonstrating virtuoso skill in conveying movement through the play of light and shadow. The chisel marks and jagged edges remind us of the stone from which the figures are made.

This relief gives the impression of truly explosive force; it amazes with its powerful dynamics, violent movement that permeates the entire composition, and the richness of its plasticity. In this high relief there is nothing of the graphic nature of the three-plane construction. It was solved by purely plastic means and anticipates the other side of Michelangelo’s subsequent creations - his ineradicable desire to reveal all the diversity and richness of plasticity and movements human body. It was with this relief that the young sculptor declared with all his might the innovation of his method. And if in the theme of “The Battle of the Centaurs” there is a connection between Michelangelo’s art and one of its origins - antique plastic and, in particular, with the reliefs of ancient Roman sarcophagi, then new aspirations are clearly expressed in the interpretation of the topic. Michelangelo is little interested in the moment of narration, the story that was so detailed among the Roman masters. The main thing for the sculptor is the opportunity to show the heroism of a person who reveals his spiritual power and physical strength in battle.

In a tangle of bodies intertwined in mortal combat, we find Michelangelo’s first, but already surprisingly widespread embodiment main topic his work is based on the theme of struggle, understood as one of the eternal manifestations of existence. The figures of the fighters filled the entire relief field, amazing in its plastic and dramatic integrity. Among the tangle of combatants, individual ideally beautiful nude figures stand out, modeled with precise knowledge of the human anatomical structure. Some of them are presented on foreground and are given in high relief, approaching a circular sculpture. This allows you to select multiple viewpoints. Others are relegated to the background, their relief is lower and emphasizes the overall spatiality of the solution. Deep shadows contrast with midtones and brightly lit protruding parts of the relief, which gives the image a lively and extremely dynamic character.

Some incompleteness individual parts The relief enhances by contrast the expressiveness of the fragments, finished with all care and subtlety. The manifested features of monumentality in this relatively small-sized work anticipate Michelangelo’s further conquests in this area.

Researchers are still arguing about which episode exactly. ancient mythology reproduced young master, and this plot ambiguity itself confirms that the goal he set for himself was not to strictly follow a specific narrative, but to create an image of a broader plan. Many figures in relief, their dramatic meaning and sculptural interpretation, as if in a sudden revelation, foreshadow the motives of Michelangelo’s future works; the plastic language of the relief, with its freedom and energy, giving rise to an association with violently shimmering lava, reveals similarities with Michelangelo’s sculptural style much more later years.

The freshness and completeness of the worldview, the swiftness of the rhythm give the relief an irresistible charm and uniqueness. It is not for nothing that Condivi testifies that Michelangelo in his old age, looking at this relief, said that he “realized the mistake he made in not giving himself entirely to sculpture” (Correspondence of Michelangelo Buonarroti and the life of the master, written by his student Ascanio Condivi).

But ahead of his time in The Battle of the Centaurs, Michelangelo got too far ahead. 3and with this bold breakthrough into the future, years of slower and more consistent creative development, deepened interest in the great heritage of ancient and Renaissance art, accumulation of experience in line with various, sometimes very contradictory traditions.

The previously unknown Michelangelo signed this work of his to avoid any misunderstandings. On the sash going over the left shoulder of the Madonna, he carved: “Michelangelo Buonarroti Florentine performed.” Visit to Rome, contact with ancient culture, monuments that Michelangelo admired in the Medici collection in Florence, opening the most famous monument antiquity -...

The foundations of Michelangelo's culture were Neoplatonic in nature. The ideological essence of his activity remains Neoplatonic to the end and contradictory religious life. Despite studying with Ghirlandaio and Bertoldo, Michelangelo can be considered self-taught. He perceived art neoplatonically, as the fury of the soul. But the source of inspiration for him, unlike Leonardo, was not nature, but...

Supreme manifestation human nature, and the purpose of man is to know the truth. The most important virtues are reason, wisdom and knowledge, the so-called virtues of reason. Landino proceeds from the humanistic principle of the dignity of the individual, rooted in his abilities. Moral standards of correct behavior, leading to good and averting evil, are organically connected with reason and...

Painting works Michelangelo - frescoes "The Crucifixion of the Apostle Peter" and "The Fall of Saul" (1542-50, Paolina Chapel, Vatican). Generally late painting Michelangelo had a decisive influence on the formation of mannerism. Late sculptures. Poetry Dramatic complexity figurative solution and plastic language distinguishes the late sculptural works of Michelangelo: “Pieta with Nicodemus” (c. 1547-55, ...

Demigod Silenus, bacchantes, centaurs

The demigod Silenus is the teacher of the god Dionysus. - The intoxication of the demigod Silenus. - Bacchantes (maenads) and Bacchanalia. - Satyrs are the companions of Dionysus. - Fauns of Roman mythology. - The appearance of a centaur. - Morals of centaurs. - Wise centaur Chiron. - Hercules and the centaurs. - Battle of the centaurs with the lapiths.

Demigod Silenus - teacher of the god Dionysus

The demigod Silenus, personifying a wineskin (wine skin), is, naturally, according to myths ancient Greece, educator of Dionysus (Bacchus) - the god of wine.

In art, the demigod Silenus has two completely different types.

On ancient bas-reliefs and engraved stones, the demigod Silenus was given rough, corpulent forms, as if in order to highlight in contrast the elegant forms of the god Dionysus (Bacchus) and the graceful, light forms of Dionysus’s companions - satyrs and maenads. The state of eternal intoxication in which the demigod Silenus resides requires eternal support. The demigod Silenus takes part in the Bacchic celebrations while riding a donkey, buckling under the weight of his portly rider. Silenus always has satyrs at his side, supporting him and not allowing him to fall in one direction or another.

But the demigod Silenus, as the educator and adoptive father of the god Dionysus (Bacchus), should in some cases appear in a more decent and dignified form. Then the second type of Silenus appears on the monuments of ancient art: the huge belly of the demigod disappears, intoxication disappears and he is given slender, even noble forms.

This is the demigod Silenus in the beautiful bronze statue unveiled in Pompeii or Herculaneum. This statue depicts Silenus amusing little Dionysus by playing cymbals (copper cymbals).

The Louvre houses a statue of Silenus known as the Faun and the Child. The demigod Silenus is depicted there as an old satyr. The expression on the demigod’s face is noble; he seems to be admiring the child Dionysus (Bacchus), whom he holds in his arms.

The intoxication of the demigod Silenus

The demigod Silenus is almost always in a state of intoxication, but sometimes this is the inspired intoxication of a soothsayer who can reveal to people the secret of existence and the secret of the beginning of the universe.

The philosopher Plato considers the demigod Silenus to be an emblem of wisdom hidden under a repulsive appearance. The Roman poet Virgil says the following about Silenus: “The shepherds and nymphs found the drunken Silenus sleeping, they tied him with wreaths and, waking Silenus, began to demand inspired songs from him. Silenus began to sing, and immediately around him the fauns and all the animals began to spin to the beat of his rhythmic verses, then the oldest strong oak trees - and they nodded their tops to the beat. Parnassus listened with less joy to the sounds of Apollo's lyre, and mortals experienced less pleasure listening to the melodic play of Orpheus, because Silenus sang about how in the endless emptiness of vast space all the beginnings, all the reasons for the creation of air, earth and water, gathered, and how from From these first elements all beings were formed, just as, at first only soft clay, the globe of the earth gradually became rounded and, becoming solid, forced the seas to enter the shores.

Silenus sang of the earth struck by the first rays of the sun, clouds rising in space in order to return from the heights of heaven to the earth in the form of rain, forests with their swaying peaks and the few animals still wandering through unknown mountains.

The demigod Silenus is a comic element at all holidays, as if existing only to amuse the maenads with the sight of his corpulence and intoxication. The comic figure Silenus is found very often in decorative arts as a decoration for fountains, candelabra and goblets.

Silenus type is also common in mythological paintings newest artists. Rubens is very fond of depicting Silenus as fat, with a huge belly, accompanied by satyrs and nymphs, surrounded by cheerful smiling cupids.

Bacchantes (Maenads) and Bacchanalia

The first women who took part in the mysteries of the god Dionysus (Bacchus) were called bacchantes, or maenads. Translated from ancient Greek the last word means “frantic, possessed”; the same root is in the ancient Greek word mania. There were bacchantes-maenads who raised the young Dionysus.

Bacchantes-maenads appeared on all monuments of art depicting holidays in honor of Bacchus - the so-called Bacchanalia.

Ancient art made no distinction between bacchantes and maenads, but the ancient Greek playwright Euripides points out that there was a difference in mythology. The Bacchae are Greek women who retired to Mount Cithaeron, and the Maenads are Asian women. Maenads came from Asia to Greece along with the god Dionysus after his campaign against India.

Both bacchantes and maenads are common companions of Bacchus; Not a single holiday, not a single procession is complete without them. Bacchantes-maenads were almost insane, frantic women who, under the influence of intoxication, indulged in the basest passions and subsequently reached all sorts of furies, for example, to tearing live kids and calves into pieces and devouring their raw, bloody meat.

IN wild dance, deafening and exciting themselves with the loud music of tambourines, flutes and cymbals, the bacchanal maenads rushed around until, completely exhausted, they fell on the grass and fell asleep.

Famous ancient greek sculptor Scopas, who lived in 450 BC, sculpted a type of such a frantic bacchante, which later served as a prototype for other statues. Scopas depicted his bacchante in a state of complete intoxication. The Bacchante of Skopas is carrying a wild goat, which she has just slaughtered, and her loose hair seems to flutter at the will of the wind. There are many rave reviews from ancient writers about the statue of the Bacchante Skopas.

Satyrs - companions of Dionysus

In addition to the bacchantes-maenads, the retinue of the god Dionysus (Bacchus) also included a large crowd of special deities of Greek mythology - satyrs and lords, who combined human and animal forms.

Mythological satires were a mixture of a man and a goat, with which they, however, loved to play, judging by the many cameos and engraved stones depicting satyrs flirting with goats. A very interesting antique cameo “A Satyr Making a Child Dance” has been preserved.

According to ancient mythology, there is a big difference between satyrs and lords. The satyr occupies a higher level in the hierarchy of these deities. The satyr is closer to the human type and is distinguished by a cheerful, good-natured, sly expression on his face; the satyr laughs and teases the gentlemen, whom he considers much lower than himself.

Shepherds who used goat skins instead of clothing could have given rise to the idea of ​​satyrs in mythology. The cheerful, witty and comic character that was attributed to satyrs forced them to call comic poems satyrs, and their authors - satirists.

This entire crowd, accompanying Bacchus everywhere, indulges in drunkenness and passionately loves music. Satyrs also dance, play cymbals, run after nymphs and play them merry melodies on flutes.

The creation of the mythological type of satyr belongs exclusively to antique sculpture; this is just a fantasy and a whim of the sculptors. No philosophical thought does not form the basis of the satyr myth. Satyrs have no other mission than to amuse the young god Dionysus.

According to the myths of ancient Greece, satyrs accompanied Bacchus on his campaign against India. True, judging by what ancient writers talked about their behavior and appearance, satyrs could not be particularly suitable on the battlefield. “These crowds of horned satyrs,” says the ancient Greek poet Nonnus of Panopolitan, “drink full bowls and get drunk; always formidable in fights and fights, satyrs flee from the battlefield; lions are away from battle, satyrs become hares in battle. Agile dancers, they are even more deft at emptying huge amphorae filled with wine. Few among the satyrs were commanders who had studied the art of war and knew how to command. Many of the satyrs are covered with terrible lion skins; others are armed with large clubs; horns rise on their foreheads; rare hair barely cover the pointed heads and long ears satyrs; a tail resembling a horse flutters from the satyrs’ backs and wraps around their hips.”

Primitive art depicted mythological satyrs in a funny or scary form, kidnapping beautiful nymphs. To this day, art continues to depict old, ugly satyrs.

The ancient Greek poet Hesiod calls the satyrs a useless tribe, but since they always dance, play and chase beautiful nymphs in the groves, painters and sculptors found a lot in the customs and morals of the ancient satyrs interesting stories for your compositions.

The sculptor Praxiteles sculpted the ideal type of satyr, which is then found everywhere on almost all monuments of art. The satyr of Praxiteles was bronze statue, which enjoyed such fame in antiquity that in Athens it was not called anything other than “famous.”

Located in the Louvre, “Faun Playing the Flute” is considered a very successful repetition of the work of Praxiteles. In general, the famous satyr Praxiteles served as the original for all subsequent statues. At least the "Resting Faun" in the Vatican, the "Dancing Faun" in Florence and the "Faun Playing the Cymbals" are all considered to be a repetition of the satyr statue by Praxiteles.

Fauns of Roman mythology

Art has mixed satyrs with fauns. Demigods fauns- of Roman origin, and the word itself is Latin. The demigod Faun is a civilizer in the works of Roman writers, softening the morals of nomads through music. Faun is the inventor of the shepherd's pipe, because Faun, like all the primitive gods of ancient Italy, was the patron saint of shepherds.

Modern artists often and willingly depicted the brilliant retinue of Bacchus. Poussin used this plot especially successfully in his mythological compositions, which can be found in almost all museums. The artist managed to perfectly convey the character of these Bacchic holidays.

The painter Fragonard and the sculptor Clodion also loved to depict cheerful satyrs, nymphs and fauns, introducing into their works the elegant forms and liveliness of movement that characterize the French art XVIII century.

Similar mythological stories could not but inspire Rubens, who in paintings on this theme could show all his masterful color and his ability to convey movements, so that in many museums one can see extensive compositions by this artist depicting bacchantes, dancing satyrs, nymphs taken by surprise by satyrs, and so on .

The Brussels Museum houses Jourdain's famous "Bacchanalia".

The image of the Bacchae is found in ancient art most often on sarcophagi, bas-reliefs and vases; Of these, the most famous vase is in the Villa Borghese.

Centaur Form

The Highlanders of Thessaly were already excellent horsemen in the Pelasgian era, when horse riding was almost unknown in the rest of Greece. The ancient Greeks mistook the mounted Thessalians for some kind of terrible monsters, and since these mountaineers loved wine, the myths of ancient Greece hastened to classify them as part of the retinue of the god Dionysus (Bacchus) called centaurs.

Primitive art depicted the centaur as a man with the hindquarters, legs and tail of a horse. Later, this crude type of centaur was replaced by another: a human torso and head was placed on the horse's body.

The Centaur, located at the Villa Borghese, is considered the best depiction of these mythical creatures.

Morals of Centaurs

According to ancient descriptions, centaurs there were rude, almost animal creatures who indulged in drunkenness and base passions. The centaurs ate raw meat. The usual weapons of the centaurs were heavy clubs and huge pieces of rocks, which they threw at the enemy with terrifying force.

Centaurs are, as it were, the personification of rude barbarians, opponents Greek civilization and development, subsequently defeated by the famous heroes of Greek mythology. In the company of Bacchus, the morals of the centaurs are softened and their savagery is replaced under his influence by humility and submission. Centaurs obediently walk in front of the chariot of Bacchus, blow horns and play the lyre, along with satyrs, bacchantes, fauns and others. Sometimes centaurs drive the chariot of Bacchus and Ariadne.

There are many images of centaurs, but very few images of female centaurs (centauresses). Centausses are found only occasionally on sarcophagi and engraved stones. The heads of centausses and part of the female body resemble nymphs in beauty and slenderness of form.

From paintings ancient period writers mention the painting by the painter Ctesilochus “Centaur Woman Feeding Her Children”; There is also a bas-relief preserved in the Pio-Clementine Museum, which depicts beautifully shaped “Female Centaurs Driving Off Satyrs.”

Nowadays, painters Arnold Böcklin and Franz von Stuck very often depict centausses in their paintings.

Wise centaur Chiron

Centaurs are mentioned very often in ancient mythology; they were well known to everyone for their savagery and brutality of morals, so then the word “centaur” was, as it were, synonymous with bestiality and cruelty. Only one centaur - the wise Chiron - is an exception.

The centaur Chiron managed to overcome his animal instincts and almost equaled people in his qualities. The centaur Chiron was a musician, a gymnast, a good shooter, a soothsayer and a skilled doctor. Chiron was entrusted with the education of many famous heroes mythology, such as Achilles, Amphiaraus and others.

Hercules and the centaurs

When Hercules went on a quest, he met the centaur Pholus (Φόλος), who showed Hercules hospitality. Wanting to treat Hercules with wine, the centaur Pholus led him to a barrel given to Pholus by Bacchus.

As soon as the smell of wine spread in the air, a whole crowd of centaurs came running from everywhere and, gathering in front of the cave that served as Folu’s home, began to demand wine with loud cries.

Hercules entered into battle with the centaurs and killed many of them; this battle was very often depicted by ancient artists.

From newest works Lebrun's painting of this mythological subject, beautiful in layout and movement, is known.

Battle of the Centaurs with the Lapiths

The myth of the war between the Athenians and the centaurs, the cause of which was the abduction of Hippodamia, also served as a plot for many works of art.

The mythological hero Pirithous invited Hippodamia, the daughter of the lapith Atrax, the hero Theseus and the Athenians, to his wedding. Pirithous also invited the centaurs, thinking that their appearance would amuse the rest of the guests.

But as soon as the centaurs began to get drunk from the action of wine fumes, they forgot all decency. One of the centaurs, Eurytion, grabbed Hippodamia by the hair and wanted to kidnap her. Other centaurs followed Eurytion's example, trying to capture those women they liked. But Theseus took Hippodamia from Eurytion; then the centaur rushed at him, but was killed by Theseus. Other centaurs, seeing their dying brother, became enraged and began throwing everything they could get their hands on at their opponents. Then a battle broke out between the Lapiths and the centaurs, which continued until the centaurs were killed.

The battle of the centaurs with the lapiths is depicted on many bas-reliefs and on the Parthenon Temple.

ZAUMNIK.RU, Egor A. Polikarpov - scientific editing, scientific proofreading, design, selection of illustrations, additions, explanations, translations from ancient Greek and Latin; all rights reserved.

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The marble relief “Battle of the Centaurs” (Florence, Palazzo Buonarroti) has the appearance of a Roman sarcophagus and depicts a scene from the Greek myth about the battle of the Lapith people with half-animal centaurs who attacked them during a wedding feast.

The plot was suggested by Angelo Poliziano (1454-1494), the closest friend of Lorenzo the Magnificent. Its meaning is the victory of civilization over barbarism. According to the myth, the Lapiths were victorious, but in Michelangelo's interpretation the outcome of the battle is unclear. The sculptor created compact and tense masses of naked bodies, demonstrating virtuoso skill in conveying movement through the play of light and shadow. The chisel marks and jagged edges remind us of the stone from which the figures are made. Any drugs on https://evropharm.ru/

This relief gives the impression of truly explosive force; it amazes with its powerful dynamics, violent movement that permeates the entire composition, and the richness of its plasticity. In this high relief there is nothing of the graphic nature of the three-plane construction. It was solved by purely plastic means and anticipates the other side of Michelangelo’s subsequent creations - his ineradicable desire to reveal all the diversity and richness of plasticity, movements of the human body. It was with this relief that the young sculptor declared with all his might the innovation of his method. And if in the theme “Battle of the Centaurs” there is a connection between Michelangelo’s art and one of its sources - ancient plastic art and, in particular, with the reliefs of ancient Roman sarcophagi, then new aspirations are clearly expressed in the interpretation of the theme. Michelangelo is little interested in the moment of narration, the story that was so detailed among the Roman masters. The main thing for the sculptor is the opportunity to show the heroism of a person who reveals his spiritual power and physical strength in battle.

In a tangle of bodies intertwined in mortal combat, we find Michelangelo’s first, but already surprisingly broad, embodiment of the main theme of his work - the theme of struggle, understood as one of the eternal manifestations of existence. The figures of the fighters filled the entire relief field, amazing in its plastic and dramatic integrity. Among the tangle of combatants, individual ideally beautiful nude figures stand out, modeled with precise knowledge of the human anatomical structure. Some of them are brought to the foreground and presented in high relief, approaching a round sculpture. This allows you to select multiple viewpoints. Others are relegated to the background, their relief is lower and emphasizes the overall spatiality of the solution. Deep shadows contrast with midtones and brightly lit protruding parts of the relief, which gives the image a lively and extremely dynamic character.

Some incompleteness of individual parts of the relief enhances by contrast the expressiveness of the fragments, finished with all care and subtlety. The manifested features of monumentality in this relatively small-sized work anticipate Michelangelo’s further conquests in this area.

Researchers are still arguing about exactly which episode of ancient mythology was reproduced by the young master, and this plot ambiguity itself confirms that the goal he set for himself was not to strictly follow a specific narrative, but to create an image of a broader plan. Many figures in relief, their dramatic meaning and sculptural interpretation, as if in a sudden revelation, foreshadow the motives of Michelangelo’s future works; the plastic language of the relief, with its freedom and energy, giving rise to an association with violently shimmering lava, reveals similarities with Michelangelo’s sculptural style of much later years.

The freshness and completeness of the worldview, the swiftness of the rhythm give the relief an irresistible charm and uniqueness. It is not for nothing that Condivi testifies that Michelangelo in his old age, looking at this relief, said that he “realized the mistake he made in not giving himself entirely to sculpture” (Correspondence of Michelangelo Buonarroti and the life of the master, written by his student Ascanio Condivi).

Other information:

"Snow White" - Disney's extravagance
One day he found himself in Paris, where he and his brother Roy (“my accountant”) received another award. (Here, by the way, there was an embarrassment: etiquette required showing up in a business card and striped trousers. Alien to the world, Walt was indignant: “I’m wearing t...

The evolution of catalog forms from traditional to electronic
Evolution is “movement from simple to complex.” The evolution of the forms of library catalogs is a movement from simple unprofessional ancient attempts to somehow organize library information to modern computer databases, online...

National realistic landscape
In France by the 30s XIX century A school of artists—creators of the national landscape—is emerging. One of the first to the image national nature addressed Georges Michel. The nature of “everyday” France, with its birches and poplars, became the theme...