Satyrs sometimes need their quiet time. Stefano Della Bella’s delicate touch with the etching needle infuses these intimate scenes of nursing and bathing with a soft, woodland light. These etchings date back to 1656.
Category: Mythology
The Clavichord of Castle Costaguti
Last November (2018) my husband and I went on a Tuscan road trip. One of the last stays during our wintry Italian adventure was Castle Costaguti in the small town of Roccalvecce. We were the only guests in the castle and we were treated like royalty. Our rooms occupied a wing of the castle and…
Bacchus and Ariadne on the Island of Naxos by Sébastien Bourdon
Bacchus and Ariadne on the Island of Naxos, Sébastien Bourdon (Montpellier 1616-1671 Paris) Following the death of the Minotaur and his escape from the Labyrinth, the Greek hero Theseus unceremoniously abandoned Ariadne, daughter the Cretan king, Minos, on the Greek island of Naxos. Many variations of the myth exist; in most, Ariadne is discovered soon…
Allegories by J. Audran
What a fine conglomeration of hooves! Etchings by J. Audran (Source: Wellcome Collection)
The Pipes of Pan by Mariano Fortuny y Carbó
The Pipes of Pan, 1865. By Mariano Fortuny y Carbó (Spanish, 1838-1874). Watercolor with traces of pen and black ink; border in graphite. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Bequest of Muriel Butkin
Exploring the Myth of Jupiter and Antiope (Part III)
Antiope by Michael Field (Pseud. for Katharine Bradley and Edith Cooper) NOONTIDE’S whiteness of full sun Illumes her sleep ; Its heat is on her limbs and one White arm with sweep Of languor falls around her head : She cuddles on the lap of earth ; While almost dead Asleep, forgetful of his mirth, A…
Exploring the Myth of Jupiter and Antiope (Part II)
Jupiter’s seduction of Antiope is a frequent theme in western painting and has been treated by Titian, Van Dyck, Watteau, and David among others. They are based on the story of the seduction of Antiope by the god Zeus in Greek mythology, later imported into Roman mythology and told of the god Jupiter. According to this…
Naiads From Disney’s Pastoral Symphony
Ludwig van Beethoven’s Symphony No. 6 in F major, Op. 68, also known as The Pastoral Symphony, is the fifth segment of Fantasia. It utilized delicate color styling to depict a mythical ancient Greek world of centaurs, families of Pegasus, the Gods of Mount Olympus, fauns, cupids, and other legendary creatures and characters of classical mythology. It tells the story of the mythological…
Pagan Festivities in an Italian Garden
North Italian School, 17th century Private ownership, South Germany. The work shows Venus and Cupid with an attendant and a Satyr in a lush Italian garden. The architecture of the villa in the background of the piece is clearly inspired by the work of Andrea Palladio. The unidentified Italian creator of this painting was probably…
Exploring the Myth of Jupiter and Antiope (Part I)
The story of Jupiter and Antiope is often used in art. Antiope was a beautiful girl, whom Jupiter, in the form of a satyr, wooed and won. She is usually represented as sleeping after her exertions in the Maenad dances, when approached by the Olympian king. The two most famous pictures dealing with the legend…
Frisky Satyr 