The Golden Age Endures

ARTS The Golden Age Endures

The mythology behind the canvas

Written by Kara Conrad, Website Manager

It is almost guaranteed that if you step into any art museum, you will come across some form of art originating from the Renaissance period or Romanticism era. The

Renaissance period took place during the 14th through the 17th century and focuses on the concepts of

Naturalism—often through nudity, Contrapposto (enhancement of the realism of figures by focusing on how they stand), and Chiaroscuro which is the emphasis on color contrasts of light and dark.1 The late 18th century to mid 19th century, also known as the

Romanticism era, was a reaction to the

Age of Enlightenment. While similar in some respects to renaissance art, romantic art is categorized as naturecentered, light-driven and highly imaginative.2 The stories of Greek and

Roman mythology naturally align with both categories of art.

Whether depicted in ancient sculptures or modern paintings, the stories of these gods and goddesses continue to inspire our present cultures, millenniums after creation. Greek and Roman mythology centers on universal human experiences such as tragedy and romance. With such deep-rooted origins, these works of art will continue to resonate with the current issues people face because their messages and symbols provide answers to timeless questions. These stories hold modernity through movies, music, popular brand names and visual arts of all kinds. Classical Greek mythology stories take place in the Golden Age (the first of five). And while it precedes Roman mythology by 1,000 years, they share many of the same gods and goddesses in their stories—oftentimes with different names and connection to gender, however.3

1 “Renaissance Art – An Artistic Exploration of the Renaissance Time Period,” Art In Context, May 13, 2022. 2 “Romanticism Art – The Art, Literature, and Music of the Romantic Period,” Art In Context, January 28, 2022. 3 Luke and Monica Roman, “Encyclopedia of Greek and Roman mythology,” Infobase PublishSandro Botticell, "Birth of Venus", tempera on canvas, 172.5 x 278.5 cm, 1485

The Birth of Venus, painted in the early renaissance period by Sandro Botticelli, is exemplary of such art. The painting on the canvas tells the story of Venus, the Roman Goddess of Love and Beauty (Aphrodite in Greek mythology). She was blown across the water by Zephyr and Aura and is pictured arriving on the island of Cyprus.4 Centered on a scallop shell, Venus symbolizes the pureness and beauty of a pearl. Upon arrival, a woman holds out a cloak covered in flowers blown in by the wind. There are many elements of nature and flowy details in this painting that give off a refreshing and light feel—which Venus often signifies. The pureness Venus embodies in this piece is shown by the light colors, flowing hair and nature all around. This clean, calm aesthetic or innocent stereotype is one that remains present in societal media.

ing, 2010. 4 Mary Cooch, “Birth of Venus,” Encyclopedia Britannica, April 11, 2022. The Triumph of Galatea by Italian painter Raphel is a Renaissance fresco. The painting portrays a scene from the story of Acis and Galatea. Galatea,the name meaning, ‘she who is milk white,’ is a sea nymph, which symbolizes everything that is beautiful and kind about the sea. She fell in love with Acis, a mortal peasant shepherd. The jealous one-eyed giant Polyphemus, son of Poseidon, kills Acis, leading Galatea to transform Acis into the Sicilian immortal river spirit.5 This piece is the divinization of Galatea standing triumphant in a shell chariot pulled by dolphins protecting the Sicillian river. The average person may not experience sea nymphs or cyclopes but the underlying love triangle plot is a theme in many modern works of art—and possibly a situation we have found ourselves in.

5 “Triumph of Galatea,” Volume 70 Issue 2, History Today, February, 2020.

Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino, "Triumph of Galatea", fresco, 295 x 225 cm, 1514 A third classic piece of art is the romantic Pandora’s Box by Walter Crane. The story of Pandora, the first mortal woman in Greek Mythology, comes from a series of poems written by Heisod. She can be described as an Ancient Greek Eve. Upon her creation by Hephaestus, husband to Aphrodite, she was gifted a jar full of all evils and diseases—her “box of ills” as Heisod describes it. Eventually out of curiosity, Pandora lifted the lid of the jar, instantaneously releasing all of its contaminants to the world. She quickly tried to put the lid back, managing to only trap the virtue of hope inside.6 Crane brings this story to life through water color paint in quite a “decorative” manner.7 Crane’s piece portrays Pandora over her box, conflicted and struggling to fight the urge to discover what is inside.

Beyond these three, classical mythology is dramatic and magical. However, these stories are not limited to pages of entertainment or painted canvases. They provide a sense of comfort by expanding on common human experiences and explanations for the meaning of the environment we live in. Classical mythological figures represent pure ideas that absorb the condition of human physical and spiritual life through the ages.8 ■

6 Hesiod, “The Homeric Hymns and Homerica with an English Translation by Hugh G. Evelyn-White. Theogony”, Harvard University Press, 1914. 7 Morna O’neill, “Pandora’s Box: Walter Crane, “Our Sphinx-Riddle,” and the Politics of Decoration,” Cambridge University Press, 2007. 8 Walter Pater, “Greek Studies, A Series of Essays,” London: Macmillan and Co., 1895.