Mythological paintings by famous artists. Ancient mythology in world painting

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The genre of fine art dedicated to the heroes and events that the myths of ancient peoples tell about is called the mythological genre (from the Greek mythos - tradition). All peoples of the world have myths, legends, and traditions, and they constitute the most important source of artistic creativity.

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The mythological genre originates in late antique 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 the frescoes of Raphael

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SANDRO BOTTICELLI THE BIRTH OF VENUS Sea waves wash ashore a huge shell, like an open delicate flower with a naked, fragile goddess standing in it with a thoughtfully sad face. Marshmallows, rapidly floating in the air, drive the shell to the shore, shower it with flowers and sway the golden locks of Venus’s hair. The nymph hurries to throw a purple blanket over her, fluttering in the wind. In both Spring and the Birth of Venus, line is a powerful means of emotional expression. The appearance of Venus combines sensual beauty and sublime spirituality. Her appearance is an achievement of great harmony, it is considered one of the most beautiful poetic female images in world art.

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Andrea Mantegna Parnas

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Giorgione. Judith Judith is a resident of the Jewish city of Bethulia, besieged by the Babylonian commander Holofernes. The inhabitants of Vetilui were starving and on the verge of death. Judith volunteered to save her compatriots, dressed smartly and went to the enemy’s camp. Her beauty and intelligence captivated Holofernes, he began to feast with her in his tent, and when he fell asleep, Judith cut off his head with his own sword and brought it to his hometown. The residents, inspired by her feat, attacked the enemies and drove them away. With her self-sacrifice, Judith gained fame and veneration from her fellow citizens.

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In the 17th century - beginning 19th century in works of the mythological genre, the range of moral and aesthetic problems is expanding, which are embodied in high artistic ideals and either come closer to life, or create a festive spectacle: N. Poussin Sleeping Venus (1620s, Dresden, Art Gallery), P. P. Rubens Bacchanalia (1619-1620, Moscow, Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts), D. Velazquez Bacchus (Drunkards) (1628-1629, Madrid, Prado), Rembrandt Danae (1636, St. Petersburg, Hermitage), G. B. TiepoloTriumph of Amphitrite ( about 1740, Dresden, Picture Gallery). From the 19th-20th centuries. Themes of Germanic, Celtic, Indian, and Slavic myths became popular.

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In the 19th century the mythological genre serves as the norm for high, ideal art (sculpture by I. Martos, paintings by J.-L. David, J.-D. Ingres, A. Ivanov). Along with the themes of ancient mythology in the 19th-20th centuries. Themes of Indian myths became popular in art. At the beginning of the 20th century. symbolism and Art Nouveau style revived interest in the mythological genre (M. Denis, M. Vrubel). It received a modern rethinking in the sculpture of A. Maillol, A. Bourdelle, S. Konenkov, and the graphics of P. Picasso. M. Vrubel V. Vasnetsov Jean Louis David. Andromache at Hector's body.

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SirinVictor Korolkov1996 Sirin (phragm)Victor Vasnetsov Sirin is one of the birds of paradise, even its very name is consonant with the name of paradise: Iriy. However, these are by no means the light Alkonost and Gamayun. Sirin is a dark bird, a dark force, a messenger of the ruler of the underworld. From head to waist Sirin is a woman of incomparable beauty, and from the waist she is a bird. Whoever listens to her voice forgets about everything in the world, but is soon doomed to troubles and misfortunes, or even dies, and there is no strength to force him not to listen to Sirin’s voice. And this voice is true bliss!

The myths of Ancient Greece are the 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 of 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 the history of European painting (after the ancient Greeks and Romans) 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.

The mythological genre of painting is a type of historical direction of fine art; the main themes of the works are epics, myths, fairy tales, and the sacred history of the people. The narration is not about events contemporary to the artist, not about phenomena that actually took place, but about the legends on which the mythological system of a particular people is based:

Story

It differs from the religious genre in the absence of a biblical element in the themes of the paintings. Epic and fairy-tale plots were present in the works of artists from Western Europe, Russia, and the USA. Most examples of paintings from the medieval period belong to the mythological or religious movements of history painting. Characteristic features are also the tendency to saturate real plots with fabulous, mythological details.

History painting

Renaissance

During the Renaissance, painting acquired an allegorical meaning, and religious and epic subjects became symbolic. Representatives of the Renaissance put in first place certain moral and ethical problems, which they tried to solve with the help of painting, and made attempts to explain the essence of phenomena and processes using epic themes of works and mythological heroes. During the Renaissance, myth turns from a fairy-tale literary work into a meaningful narrative designed to raise the level of morality.

In the 18th – 19th centuries

It is characteristic that during the 18th and 19th centuries there was a sharp increase in interest in the history of antiquity, especially the Roman Empire. The fairy-tale-mythological genre acquires political overtones and becomes part of the ideology of the ruler of a certain state. For example, during the Third Reich, Teutonic legends and myths were popular. Napoleon was fascinated by the exploits of Alexander the Great and the military art of Ancient Rome. Therefore, painting acquired an appropriate theme.

Caricature in painting

In 20th century

At the beginning of the 20th century, interest in folk art, ethnic motifs, and the nuances of national cultures revived, so the epic genre became popular. At the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, new motives appeared - the culture of indigenous peoples. The artists were interested in the culture of the Indians and Africans.

Symbolists and avant-garde artists of the early 20th century sought to rethink the movement, abandon dogmatism and academicism in favor of individualism and modernity.

Features of the genre

Fairy-tale and mythological motifs are an important theme in fine art. Characteristic features of the paintings:

Dynamic plot;
Realism of image transfer;
Brightness, attention to detail;
Rich plot, variety of images;
Particular attention to perspective, three-dimensionality of the image.

The most striking works of the genre are represented by the works of Raphael, Botticelli, Mantegna, and Giorgione. Thanks to Poussin, Rubens, Velazquez, the movement actively developed in the 17th – 19th centuries. Each master emphasized a certain aspect of the transfer of images:

Rubens and Poussin tried to embody the idealized image of a hero, a winner, a god.
Velazquez and Rembrandt placed emphasis on attempts to bring the mythological, fairy-tale image closer to real life. Mythological and epic images are not ideal.
Boucher focuses on the pomp, richness, and solemnity of the event depicted on the canvas.

Household painting

The basis of the direction is considered to be the idealization of images. The mythological genre is a sublime art, primarily observing the norms of ancient aesthetics.

Famous artists

A.-T. Lawrence

Painter from Holland, worked in Great Britain. Received a good education in his native country. The features and characteristics of his works were formed under the influence of Italian painting. The main theme of paintings in the mythological genre is the culture and myths of Ancient Greece and Rome. In addition to painting, Lawrence had knowledge in archaeology. Thanks to his knowledge of history and archeology, the artist accurately conveyed the clothing of the Greeks and Romans, myths, and weapons. Paintings: “Scapulas and sponges”, “In the atrium of the sauna”.

Representative of Rococo and Neoclassicism from Italy. The peculiarities of his painting are detailing and a high level of attention to detail. Batoni is known for paintings in allegorical and mythological directions: “Voluptuousness”, “Diana and Cupid”.

Features of ancient Greek vase painting

E. Burne-Jones

English artist who worked according to the Renaissance. Religion and mythology are the main areas of interest of the painter. Works: “The Story of Perseus”, “The Story of Pygmalion”, “The Battle of Perseus with the Dragon”.

V.A. Bouguereau

Academic artist from France. He had a good education and was influenced by Italian painting. He was engaged in the execution of paintings to order. Bouguereau's paintings received consistently high marks from critics: “The Youth of Bacchus”, “Nymphs and Satyrs”.

A master of Russian realistic painting, he worked in the epic direction. Fairy-tale plots and themes from myths dominate his work: “Sirin and Alkonost”, “Ivan Tsarevich and the Gray Wolf”, “The Knight at the Crossroads”. The epics, which became the basis for the painter’s works, are well-known examples of Slavic mythology and legends.

Ge N.

Russian artist, realist, portrait painter, master of religious and mythological painting. His work combined academic features and symbolist influences. Paintings: “The Court of King Solomon”¸ “Garden of the Hesperides”.

Allegory as a genre in painting

G. Moreau

A famous painter from France, his works are the best example of late 19th century fine art in Western Europe. Works: “Venus Born from Foam”, “Oedipus the Wanderer”.

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.

Large explanatory dictionary of cultural studies.. Kononenko B.I. . 2003.

See what “Mythological genre” is in other dictionaries:

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One of the main genres depicts art dedicated to historical events and figures, socially significant phenomena in the history of society. Focused primarily on the past, the historical genre also includes depictions of recent events... ... Art encyclopedia

- (Zurbarán) (1598 1664), Spanish painter of the Seville school. The strict monumentalism of compositions and images was subtly combined with care in conveying the subject texture, the warmth of the color scheme, and light and shadow modeling (a cycle of paintings from life... ... encyclopedic Dictionary

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Lullaby- a genre of children's folklore for everyday use. Lullabies were sung by the mother at the cradle of a falling asleep child under the age of five. In Russian folk culture, lullabies are of a mythological nature; they contain many mythical characters - Drema... Fundamentals of spiritual culture (teacher's encyclopedic dictionary)

ANCIENT GREECE- territory in the south of the Balkan Peninsula (see also the articles Antiquity, Greece). The history of D.G. covers the period from the beginning. II millennium BC to the beginning I millennium AD Geography and ethnography Phaistos disc. XVII century BC (Archaeological Museum in Heraklion, ... ... Orthodox Encyclopedia

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Municipal educational institution "Lyceum No. 11 named after. T.I.Alexandrova, Yoshkar-Ola"

Research

On the topic: “Mythological subjects in painting”

Scientific adviser:

Kosova Svetlana Ivanovna, teacher

drawing and fine arts of the first qualification category.

Student 11 "A" class:

Shparber Ksenia

Yoshkar-Ola 2015

Introduction

A myth is a legend that embodies the ideas of ancient peoples about the origin of the world and various natural phenomena. Myths tell stories about gods, spirits, deified heroes and ancestors. They arose during primitive society, at the dawn of human existence. Ancient man could not understand the reasons for the occurrence of various natural phenomena. Many questions arose in his head: how did people appear on earth? Why does it thunder and rain? for what reason does the wind blow? etc. Not being able to approach these questions from a scientific point of view, people came up with their own answers that were understandable to him. These answers became myths.

This work is relevant because myths and art are an integral part of culture. The purpose of the work is to prove the statement that myths are an inexhaustible source of creativity for artists of different times and eras. Research objectives: to reveal the concept of myth, to show the history of the development of myth in art, to prove the hypothesis. Objects: Sandro Botticelli “Birth of Venus”, Santi Raphael “Vision of Izzekiel”, Nicolas Poussin “Kingdom of Flora”, Francois Boucher “Jupiter and Callisto”, Karl Bryullov “The Last Day of Pompeii”.

1. Main part

Myth is not only historically the first form of culture, but also changes the mental life of a person. The essence of myth is that it represents the twinning of man with the forces of existence of nature or society. Everything becomes animated, and nature appears as a world of formidable, but related to man, mythological creatures - demons and gods.

In parallel with myth, art existed and operated in the history of culture. Art is an expression of a person’s need for figurative and symbolic expression and experiencing significant moments in his life. Art creates a “second reality” for a person. Involvement in this world, self-expression and self-knowledge in it constitute one of the most important needs of the human soul.

Artists of different eras and styles did not ignore ancient Greek mythology. And although in the Middle Ages painting focused mainly on Christian subjects, during the Renaissance, painters with great enthusiasm began to depict mythological subjects on their canvases. In the modern era, against the backdrop of general changes in the fine arts, interest in classical mythological subjects somewhat dried up, but interest in mythical monsters, whose images are actively used in modern art, has revived. Russian painters traditionally turned to the theme of Slavic mythology, depicting in their paintings both epic heroes and mythical creatures of Slavic mythology.

First, let's look at a painting from the 15th century. The famous painting by artist Sandro Botticelli “The Birth of Venus”. Botticelli is an Italian painter of the early Renaissance, a representative of the Florentine school, one of the most prominent artists of the Italian Renaissance. The artist wrote “The Birth of Venus” for Lorenzo di Pierfrancesco Medici. The plot of this picture is based on the myth of how the goddess of love was born from the foam of the sea.

Venus, standing in a shell, floats, urged on by Zephyr and Chloris, and Ora, one of the goddess’s companions, comes towards her, holding a veil to envelop her. The whimsical folds of bedspreads and clothes fluttering in the wind, the waves on the sea, the broken line of the shore, the “corrugated” shell of the shell, and finally the flying hair of Venus - all this sets off the smooth outlines of the goddess’s body and enhances the feeling of supreme harmony that her appearance evokes. The characters’ hands almost close above Venus’s head, and it seems as if an arch is overshadowing her, echoed by the rounded bottom of the shell. Thus, the figure of the goddess is closed into an imaginary oval. Venus here is the center to which everything strives.

The beautiful face of the heroine is reminiscent of the faces of Madonnas in Botticelli’s paintings, and therefore in this work the Christian theme sounds through the ancient theme, it was this combination of ancient humanism and Christianity that gave rise to the phenomenon of the Italian Renaissance.

The next painting by Raphael Santi, “The Vision of Ezekiel,” dates back to the 16th century. This small canvas was painted for a private customer. The background of the picture fully corresponds to the biblical description of this vision: “...a stormy wind came from the north, a great cloud and swirling fire, and a brightness around it” (Ezekiel 1:4). In the vision itself, God is depicted floating through the air, supported by “the likenesses of four animals.” tradition with their four winged creatures: a man or angel, a lion, a bull and an eagle, which symbolize in the visual arts the four Evangelists. It was this Christian tradition, and not the actual description of Ezekiel’s vision, that Raphael followed when painting this picture. The painting is small in size, but it gives an idea of Raphael’s skill in solving such a complex composition. In it, the artist develops a task that is exceptional in its difficulty - to show rapid flight. The figure of the God of Hosts himself is given from a very complex perspective. The pictorial image of God is full of such titanic power, and the movement is conveyed so perfectly that it seems to the viewer as if “The Vision of Ezekiel” is a large canvas, and not a tiny painting, the dimensions of which are barely larger than a miniature. The picture is based on one of the most rich in mythical symbolism biblical subjects.

Next up is a 17th century painting, namely “The Kingdom of Flora” by the famous French artist Nicolas Poussin. The master depicted antiquity as he imagined it. On his canvases, the heroes of antiquity came to life again to perform feats, go against the will of the gods, or simply sing and have fun. Poussin's painting "The Kingdom of Flora" was created based on an ancient legend told by the Roman poet Ovid. This is a poetic allegory of the origin of flowers, which depicts heroes of ancient myths turned into flowers

Heroes who die in the prime of life turn into flowers after death and find themselves in the kingdom of Flora. Human life is interpreted in its inseparability with the life of nature. Strict order reigns in the universe, its laws are reasonable. This is also felt in Poussin’s painting, which is distinguished by the balance of its composition and the beauty of its characters, inspired by images of ancient sculpture. Logic and poetry coexist harmoniously on this canvas. Here he depicts his ideal - a person living a single happy life with nature.

In all his works, Poussin expressed the aesthetic ideal of classicism, which is based on the imitation of “decorated nature.” This means that the artist reflected only the sublime, beautiful and perfect in man and life, while ignoring the base, ugly and ugly.

"The Kingdom of Flora" is one of Poussin's paintings, distinguished by its subtle and rich development of color.

An example of mythological subjects in 18th century painting is Francois Boucher’s canvas “Jupiter and Callisto”. In the painting, the artist turned to the “Metamorphoses” of the Roman writer Ovid, who retold the myth of the god Jupiter, who, having fallen in love with the nymph Callisto and wanting to seduce her, took the form of the goddess Diana. The artist interpreted a sensual episode of ancient mythology in a superficial, playful spirit. Graceful, graceful figures of his ancient heroines look like porcelain figurines. Boucher loved light painting and preferred elegant blue, pink and green tones. In the works of Boucher himself, nymphs and Venus appear every now and then. And the names of the works speak for themselves - “The Triumph of Venus”, “The Toilet of Venus”, “The Bathing of Diana”. He knew how to enjoy the beauty of life and encouraged others to do the same. The Rococo style was his native element, here he felt like a fish in water - naturally and organically. Decorativeness, graceful intimacy, a boudoir atmosphere, pastel colors - these are the main features of Francois Boucher's artistic style.

And finally, one of the most famous paintings of the 19th century, Karl Pavlovich Bryullov’s painting “The Last Day of Pompeii”, also belongs to the mythological genre of painting. Karl Bryullov is a famous painter, watercolorist, and draftsman. Studied at the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts. His work introduced the freshness of romance, vitality, and passion for the beauty of reality into the painting of academic classicism, and this contributed to the development of realism in Russian painting. The painting “The Last Day of Pompeii” brought worldwide fame to the artist. The death of Pompeii in Bryullov’s view is the death of the entire ancient world, the symbol of which becomes the most central figure of the canvas - a beautiful woman who fell to her death by falling from a chariot. Bryullov is shocked by the inner beauty and dedication of these people, who do not lose human dignity in the face of an inevitable catastrophe. In these terrible moments, they do not think about themselves, but strive to help their loved ones, to protect them from danger. The artist sees himself among the inhabitants of Pompeii with a box of paints and brushes on his head. He is here next to them to help, to support their spirit. But even before his death, the artist’s keen observation does not leave him - he clearly sees human figures perfect in their plastic beauty in the flashes of lightning. They are beautiful not only because of the extraordinary lighting, but also because they themselves seem to radiate the light of spiritual nobility and greatness. Almost six years have passed since that memorable day when, on the streets of lifeless Pompeii, Bryullov had the idea to paint a picture about the death of this ancient city. In the last year, the artist worked so furiously that he was more than once carried out of the studio in a state of complete exhaustion.

Conclusion

myth art painting Bryullov

The work we have done confirms the hypothesis that myths are an inexhaustible source for the creativity of artists of different centuries and eras. For this purpose, the works of masters from different centuries were examined. A survey was also conducted.

List of information sources

· http://citaty.su/

· http://muzei-mira.com

· http://jivopis.org

· http://www.mifyrima.ru/

· https://ru.wikipedia.org

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