Renaissance Greek Mythology Paintings
Peter paul rubens painted prometheus bound around 1611 1612.
Renaissance greek mythology paintings. By jacques louis david wikimedia commons 2. Zeus commanded an eagle to eat the liver of prometheus daily. Gustave moreau oedipus and the sphinx. The love of paris and helen by jacques louis david 1788.
Galatea is meant to represent ideal beauty in this painting ex. They reawakened old ideas and artistic expressions and brought greek art back to the surface. All three of these renaissance artists were greatly inspired and influenced by ancient greece and greek mythology. From more recent movies and books to statues spread across the globe the feats of perseus hercules hades and many many other legendary characters have been engraved in the history of art.
There is also pollaiolo s engraving heracles and antaeus and paolo veronese s large painting portraying mars and venus figures and popular themes taken from greek mythology were used to personify wealthy patrons in the renaissance and symbolize the revival of ancient ideals. Michelangelo buonaratti is probably the best known renaissance artist. His painting illustrates the greek hero prometheus bound to a rock with his liver exposed. A fresco completed in 1514 for the villa farnesina in rome caravaggio s triumph of.
The renaissance period was seen as moving away from antiquity and yet antiquity played an important part in the art produced during this era and a number of important titian pieces relate to tales from greek mythology including danae 1554 and the death of actaeon c1575. Besides the works of michelangelo we will see many other famous works from the renaissance such as botticelli s birth of venus. Listing the most interesting greek mythology paintings raphael the triumph of galatea. From the early years of the renaissance artists portrayed subjects from greek mythology alongside more conventional christian themes.
These gorgeous paintings plucked straight out of the tales of greek mythology will leave you searching for the legends behind them. Mythological painting first came to prominance during renaissance art. In greek mythology prometheus was bound to a rock as punishment from zeus for gifting fire to man. His sculpture of david seen below certainly demonstrates a strong influence from classical greek scupture and ideals.
Cymon and iphigenia by frederic leighton 1884. Among the best known subjects of italian artists are botticelli s birth of venus and pallas and the centaur the ledas of leonardo da vinci and michelangelo and raphael s galatea.