hoakley General, Language, Painting

The Story in Paintings: index of well-known narratives 2 classics

Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres (1780–1867), Oedipus and the Sphinx (1808, 1827), oil on canvas, 189 x 144 cm, Musée du Louvre, Paris. Photo courtesy of the Art Renewal Center, via Wikimedia Commons.

This is an index of the 56 well-known stories and narratives from classical Greek and Roman sources which are covered in articles about narrative painting on this blog. These are arranged in alphabetical order, for each giving the type of narrative and its origin, links to the paintings featured here, and a ‘lead’ example painting is shown. There are separate illustrated indexes for other sources of narratives, e.g. Biblical.

Achilles and Agamemnon (Greek tragedy, Euripides, Iphigenia at Aulis, retold by Racine) David, The Anger of Achilles (1819)

davidangerachilles
Jacques-Louis David (1748–1825), The Anger of Achilles (1819), oil on canvas, 105.3 x 145 cm, Kimbell Art Museum, Fort Worth, TX. Wikimedia Commons.

Androcles and the Lion (Roman tale, Aulus Gellius, widespread in Europe) Gérôme, Androcles (c 1902)

geromeandrocles
Jean-Léon Gérôme (1824–1904), Androcles (c 1902), oil on canvas, 30 x 40 cm, National Museum of Fine Arts in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Courtesy of National Museum of Fine Arts in Buenos Aires, via Wikimedia Commons.

Andromache, after fall of Troy (Greek myth, Homer, Iliad, Euripides plays) Leighton, Captive Andromache (c 1886)

leightoncaptiveandromache
Frederic, Lord Leighton (1830–1896), Captive Andromache (c 1886), oil on canvas, 197 x 407 cm, City of Manchester Art Gallery, Manchester, England. WikiArt.

Andromeda and Perseus (Greek myth) Leighton, Perseus and Andromeda (1891), Perseus On Pegasus Hastening To the Rescue of Andromeda (c 1895-6)

leightonperseusandromeda
Frederic, Lord Leighton (1830–1896), Perseus and Andromeda (1891), oil on canvas, 235 × 129.2 cm, Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool, England. Wikimedia Commons.

Antiochus and Stratonice (Classical history, Plutarch, Lives) David, Antiochus and Stratonica (1774)

davidantiochusstratonica
Jacques-Louis David (1748–1825), Antiochus and Stratonica (1774), oil on canvas, 120 x 155 cm, École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts, Paris. Wikimedia Commons.

Arachne (classical legend, Ovid, Metamorphoses) Velázquez, The Spinners (Las Hilanderas, The Fable of Arachne) (c 1657)

velazquezspinners
Diego Velázquez (1599–1660), The Spinners (Las Hilanderas, The Fable of Arachne) (c 1657), oil on canvas, 220 x 289 cm, Prado Museum, Madrid. Wikimedia Commons.

Attic War, Amazons v Athenians (Greek myth) Peter Paul Rubens (1577–1640), The Battle of the Amazons (c 1600); Anselm Feuerbach (1829–1880), The Battle of the Amazons (Second Version) (1873)

feuerbachamazons
Anselm Feuerbach (1829–1880), The Battle of the Amazons (Second Version) (1873), oil on canvas, 405 × 693 cm, Germanisches Nationalmuseum, Nuremberg, Germany. Wikimedia Commons.

Batavians, Conspiracy, under Claudius Civilis (Roman history, 69 CE) Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (1606–1669), The Conspiracy of the Batavians under Claudius Civilis (1661-2) (also painting by Flinck and Ovens)

rembrandtconspiracybatavians
Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (1606–1669), The Conspiracy of the Batavians under Claudius Civilis (1661-2), oil on canvas, 196 x 309 cm, Nationalmuseum, Stockholm. Wikimedia Commons.

Brutus, execution of sons (Roman history, c 509 BCE) David, The Lictors Bring to Brutus the Bodies of His Sons (1789)

davidbrutus
Jacques-Louis David (1748–1825), The Lictors Bring to Brutus the Bodies of His Sons (1789), oil on canvas, 323 × 422 cm, Musée du Louvre, Paris. Wikimedia Commons.

Candaules, King of Lydia (shows wife to Gyges) (Classical history, Herodotus) Etty, Candaules, King of Lydia, Shews his Wife by Stealth to Gyges, One of his Ministers, as She Goes to Bed (1830)

IF
William Etty (1787–1849), Candaules, King of Lydia, Shews his Wife by Stealth to Gyges, One of his Ministers, as She Goes to Bed (1830), oil on canvas, 45.1 x 55.9 cm, The Tate Gallery, London (Presented by Robert Vernon 1847). Photographic Rights © Tate 2016, CC-BY-NC-ND 3.0 (Unported), http://www.tate.org.uk/art/work/N00358

Chloris/Flora and Zephyrus (Classical myth, Ovid, Fasti book 5) Botticelli, Primavera (Spring) (c 1482)

Sandro Botticelli (Alessandro di Mariano di Vanni Filipepi), Primavera (Spring) (c 1482), tempera on panel, 202 x 314 cm, Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence. Wikimedia Commons.
Sandro Botticelli (Alessandro di Mariano di Vanni Filipepi) (c 1445-1510), Primavera (Spring) (c 1482), tempera on panel, 202 x 314 cm, Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence. Wikimedia Commons.

Cleopatra and Caesar (Roman history, 47 BCE) Gérôme, Cleopatra before Caesar (1866)

geromecleopatracaesar
Jean-Léon Gérôme (1824–1904), Cleopatra before Caesar (1866), oil on canvas, 183 x 129.5 cm, Private collection. Wikimedia Commons.

Deucalion (Greek myth, Ovid, Metamorphoses) Merwart, The Flood (Deucalion holding aloft his wife) (date unknown)

merwartflood
Paul Merwart (1855-1902), The Flood (Deucalion holding aloft his wife) (date unknown), oil on canvas, 288 x 180 cm, Lviv National Art Gallery, Lviv, The Ukraine. Wikimedia Commons.

Diana and Endymion (Classical Greek mythology) Crane, Diana and Endymion (1883)

cranedianaendymion
Walter Crane (1845–1915), Diana and Endymion (1883), watercolor and gouache, 55.2 × 78.1 cm, Private collection. Wikimedia Commons.

Dibutades, Maid of Corinth, inventor of painting (Classical legend) Wright of Derby, The Corinthian Maid (c 1782-5)

jwrightcorinthianmaid
Joseph Wright of Derby (1734–1797), The Corinthian Maid (c 1782-5), oil on canvas, 106.3 x 130.8 cm, The National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC. Wikimedia Commons.

Diogenes, throwing away his cup (Greek history, c 350 BCE) Poussin, Landscape with Diogenes (1648); Martin, Diogenes Throwing Away His Cup (1833)

martindiogenes
John Martin (1789–1854), Diogenes Throwing Away His Cup (1833), watercolour with scratching out, heightened with touches of gum arabic, 19.5 x 26 cm, Private collection. Wikimedia Commons.

Echo and Narcissus (Classical myth, Ovid, Metamorphoses Book 3) Waterhouse, Echo and Narcissus (1903)

waterhouseechonarcissus
John William Waterhouse (1849–1917), Echo and Narcissus (1903), oil on canvas, 109.2 x 189.2 cm, Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool, England. Wikimedia Commons.

Electra, and the death of Agamemnon (Greek myth, Sophocles, Euripides, plays) Leighton, Electra at the Tomb of Agamemnon (1868-9)

leightonelectratombagamemnon
Frederic, Lord Leighton (1830–1896), Electra at the Tomb of Agamemnon (1868-9), oil on canvas, 150 × 75.5 cm, Ferens Art Gallery, Kingston upon Hull, England. Wikimedia Commons.

Fates: Clotho, Lachesis, Atropos (classical myth) Il Sodoma (Giovanni Antonio Bazzi); Thijs, Time and the Three Fates (c 1665); Rubens; Thumann; Strudwick; Malczewski; Mowbray Strudwick, A Golden Thread (1885) Vedder, The Fates Gathering in the Stars (1887)

thijstimethreefates
Pieter Thijs (1624–1677), Time and the Three Fates (c 1665), oil on canvas, 137.5 × 164.5 cm, Museum of Art and History, Geneva. Wikimedia Commons.

Fortuna (Greek Tyche), Fortune (classical myth) Vedder, Fortuna

vedderfortuna
Elihu Vedder (1836–1923), Fortuna (date not known), oil on canvas, 55.9 x 40.6 cm, Private collection. The Athenaeum.

Hercules and the Hydra (Greek myth, the Labours of Hercules) Moreau, Hercules and the Lernean Hydra (1876)

moreauherculeslerneanhydra
Gustave Moreau (1826–1898), Hercules and the Lernean Hydra (1876), oil on canvas, 175 × 153 cm, The Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL. Wikimedia Commons.

Hero and Leander (Greek myth, Musaeus) Turner, The Parting of Hero and Leander (1837) Etty, The Parting of Hero and Leander (1827); Hero, Having Thrown herself from the Tower at the Sight of Leander Drowned, Dies on his Body (1829)

turnerheroleander
Joseph Mallord William Turner (1775–1851), The Parting of Hero and Leander (1837), oil on canvas, 146 × 236 cm, Tate Britain, London. Wikimedia Commons.

Horatii and Curiatii (Roman legend/history, Livy, Dionysius) David, The Oath of the Horatii (1784-5)

davidoathhoratii
Jacques-Louis David (1748–1825), The Oath of the Horatii (copy) (1786, original 1784-5), oil on canvas, 130.2 x 166.7 cm (original 329.8 x 424.8 cm), Toledo Museum of Art, Toledo, OH (original Musée du Louvre). Wikimedia Commons.

Icarus and Daedalus (Greek legend, Ovid, Metamorphoses 8:183-235) Sacchi; van Dyck; Leighton; Landon; Rubens; Gowy; Blondel; de Momper (II); Pieter Brueghel the Elder, Landscape with the Fall of Icarus (c 1558); Bukovac; Draper hypertext analysis

gowyicarus
Jacob Peter Gowy (c 1615-1661), The Fall of Icarus (1635-7), oil on canvas, 195 x 180 cm, Museo del Prado, Madrid. Wikimedia Commons.

Jason and Medea (Classical story, Jason and the Golden Fleece) Moreau, Jason (1865) Waterhouse, Jason and Medea (1907) Anselm Feuerbach (1829–1880), Medea (1870)

moreaujason
Gustave Moreau (1826–1898), Jason (1865), oil on canvas, 204 × 115 cm, Musée d’Orsay, Paris. Wikimedia Commons.

Julius Caesar, Assassination (Roman history, 44 BCE) Gérôme, The Death of Caesar (1859-67)

geromedeathofcaesar
Jean-Léon Gérôme (1824–1904), The Death of Caesar (1859-67), oil on canvas, 85.5 x 145.5 cm, Walters Art Museum, Baltimore, MD. By courtesy of Walters Art Museum, via Wikimedia Commons.

Jupiter and Semele (Greek myth, Ovid, Metamorphoses) Moreau, Jupiter and Semele (1895)

moreaujupitersemele
Gustave Moreau (1826–1898), Jupiter and Semele (1895), oil on canvas, 212 x 118 cm, Musée Gustave Moreau, Paris. Wikimedia Commons.

Lucretia (Roman history, c 510-507 BCE) Rembrandt, Lucretia (1664, 1666); Veronese, Gentileschi, Kneller

rembrandtlucretia2
Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (1606–1669), Lucretia (1666), oil on canvas, 110.2 x 92.3 cm, Minneapolis Institute of Arts, Minneapolis, MN. Wikimedia Commons.

Marsyas (Greek myth) Vedder, Young Marsyas (Marsyas Enchanting the Hares) (1878)

veddermarsyashares
Elihu Vedder (1836–1923), Young Marsyas (Marsyas Enchanting the Hares) (1878), oil on canvas, dimensions not known, Private collection. The Athenaeum.

Minerva of Peace (Roman myth) Vedder, Minerva of Peace (1897)

IF
Elihu Vedder (1836–1923), Minerva of Peace (1897), mosaic, dimensions not known, central arched panel leading to the Visitor’s Gallery, Library of Congress Thomas Jefferson Building, Washington, DC. Photographed in 2007 by Carol M. Highsmith (1946–), who explicitly placed the photograph in the public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

Neptune and Brittania (modified classical myth) Dyce, Neptune Resigning to Britannia the Empire of the Sea (1847)

IF
William Dyce (1806–1864), Neptune Resigning to Britannia the Empire of the Sea (1847), fresco, 350 x 510 cm, Osborne House, East Cowes, Isle of Wight, England. Wikimedia Commons.

Nessus and Deianira (Classical myth) Böcklin, Nessus and Deianira (1898)

39-16-05/57
Arnold Böcklin (1827–1901), Nessus and Deianira (1898), oil on panel, 104 x 150 cm, Museum Pfalzgalerie Kaiserslautern, Kaiserslautern, Germany.

Norns, Nornir, Norse Fates (Norse myth) Lund, The Norns of Norse Mythology (c 1844); Delug, The Norns (1895)

lundnorns
Johan Ludwig Lund (1777–1867), The Norns of Norse Mythology (c 1844), other details not known. Wikimedia Commons.

Odysseus/Ulysses and Calypso (Classical epic poetry, Homer, Odyssey) Böcklin, Odysseus and Calypso (1883)

boecklinodysseuscalypso
Arnold Böcklin (1827–1901), Odysseus and Calypso (1883), oil on panel, 104 × 150 cm, Kunstmuseum Basel, Switzerland. Wikimedia Commons.

Odysseus/Ulysses and Circe (Classical epic poetry, Homer, Odyssey) Waterhouse, Circe Offering the Cup to Odysseus (1891)

IF
John William Waterhouse (1849–1917), Circe Offering the Cup to Odysseus (1891), oil on canvas, 149 x 92 cm, Gallery Oldham, Manchester, England. Wikimedia Commons.

Odysseus/Ulysses and Penelope (wife) (Classical epic poetry, Homer, Odyssey) Wright of Derby, Penelope Unravelling her Web by Lamp-light (1785)

jwrightpenelopeunravellingweb
Joseph Wright of Derby (1734–1797), Penelope Unravelling her Web by Lamp-light (1785), oil on canvas, 101.6 x 127 cm, The Getty Center, Los Angeles, CA. Wikimedia Commons.

Odysseus/Ulysses and Polyphemus (Classical epic poetry, Homer, Odyssey) Turner, Ulysses Deriding Polyphemus (1829) Böcklin, Odysseus and Polyphemus (1896)

turnerulyssespolyphemus
Joseph Mallord William Turner (1775–1851), Ulysses Deriding Polyphemus (1829), oil on canvas, 132.7 × 203 cm, The National Gallery, London. Wikimedia Commons.

Odysseus/Ulysses and Sirens (Classical epic poetry, Homer, Odyssey) Waterhouse, Ulysses and the Sirens (1891) Böcklin, Sirens (1875)

waterhouseulyssessirens
John William Waterhouse (1849–1917), Ulysses and the Sirens (1891), oil on canvas, 100.6 x 201.7 cm, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, Australia. Wikimedia Commons.

Oedipus and the Sphinx (Greek legend) Ingres, Oedipus and the Sphinx (1808, 1827); Moreau, Oedipus and the Sphinx (1864)

ingresoedipussphinx
Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres (1780–1867), Oedipus and the Sphinx (1808, 1827), oil on canvas, 189 x 144 cm, Musée du Louvre, Paris. Photo courtesy of the Art Renewal Center, via Wikimedia Commons.

Orpheus and Eurydice (Classical myth, Virgil, Georgics, and Ovid, Metamorphoses) Corot, Orpheus Leading Eurydice from the Underworld (1861)

Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot, Orpheus Leading Eurydice from the Underworld (1861), oil on canvas, 44 x 54 cm, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston TX. WikiArt.
Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot (1796-1875), Orpheus Leading Eurydice from the Underworld (1861), oil on canvas, 44 x 54 cm, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston TX. WikiArt.

Paris, Judgement of (Classical myth) Renoir, The Judgement of Paris (c 1908, c 1908-10); Cézanne, The Judgment of Paris (1862-4)

cezannejudgementparis
Paul Cézanne (1839–1906), The Judgment of Paris (1862-4), oil on canvas, 15 x 21 cm, Private collection. Wikimedia Commons.

Persephone and Hades (Classical Greek mythology) Crane, The Fate of Persephone (1878)

cranefatepersephone
Walter Crane (1845–1915), The Fate of Persephone (1878), oil and tempera on canvas, 122.5 × 267 cm, Private collection. Wikimedia Commons.

Phaethon and the chariot of the sun (Greek myth, Ovid, Metamorphoses) Moreau, The Fall of Phaeton (study) (1878)

moreauphaethon
Gustave Moreau (1826–1898), The Fall of Phaeton (study) (1878), watercolor, highlight and pencil on paper, 99 x 65 cm, Musée du Louvre, Paris. Wikimedia Commons.

Phryné and the Areopagus (Greek history, Athenaeus and others, c 350 BCE) Gérôme, Phryné before the Areopagus (1861)

IF
Jean-Léon Gérôme (1824–1904), Phryné before the Areopagus (1861), oil on canvas, 80 x 128 cm, Kunsthalle Hamburg, Germany. Wikimedia Commons.

Plato’s Symposium (Greek literature, philosophy, 385-370 BCE) Pietro Testa (1611–1650), The Symposium of Plato; Anselm Feuerbach (1829–1880), Plato’s Symposium (1869, 1871-4)

feuerbachplatosymposium2
Anselm Feuerbach (1829–1880), Plato’s Symposium (Second Version) (1871-4), oil on canvas, 400 × 750 cm, Alte Nationalgalerie, Berlin, Germany. Wikimedia Commons.

Pleiades (Greek myth) Vedder, The Pleiades (1885)

vedderpleiades
Elihu Vedder (1836–1923), The Pleiades (1885), oil on canvas, 61.3 × 95.6 cm, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY. Wikimedia Commons.

Psyche and Cupid (Classical mythology, Apuleius) Luminais, Psyché (1886)

luminaispsyche
Évariste Vital Luminais (1822–1896), Psyché (1886), oil on canvas, 52 x 82 cm, Musée des Beaux-Arts de Nantes, Nantes, France. Wikimedia Commons.

Pygmalion and Galatea (Greek legend, Ovid, Metamorphoses) Gérôme, Pygmalion and Galatea (study) (1890)

geromepygmaliongalatea
Jean-Léon Gérôme (1824–1904), Pygmalion and Galatea (study) (1890), oil on canvas, 94 x 74 cm, Private collection. Wikimedia Commons.

Romulus, victory over Acron (Roman history, Plutarch) Ingres, Romulus’ Victory over Acron, (1812)

ingresromulus
Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres (1780–1867), Romulus’ Victory over Acron, (1812), tempera on canvas, 276 x 530 cm, École des Beaux Arts, Paris. Wikimedia Commons.

Sabine Women, Intervention (Roman history) David, The Intervention of the Sabine Women (1799)

davidinterventionsabine
Jacques-Louis David (1748–1825), The Intervention of the Sabine Women (1799), oil on canvas, 385 x 522 cm, Musée du Louvre, Paris. Wikimedia Commons.

Sardanapalus, Death of (Greek history and later play by Byron, 1821) Delacroix, The Death of Sardanapalus (1827)

delacroixdeathsardanapalus1827
Eugène Delacroix (1798–1863), The Death of Sardanapalus (1827), oil on canvas, 392 × 496 cm, Musée du Louvre, Paris. Wikimedia Commons.

Sibyl, Cumaean/Cumean (Roman legend) Vedder, The Cumean Sibyl (1876)

veddercumeansibyl
Elihu Vedder (1836–1923), The Cumean Sibyl (1876), oil on canvas, 96.5 x 149.9 cm, Detroit Institute of the Arts, Detroit, MI. The Athenaeum.

Socrates, death (Greek history, 399 BCE, Plato, Phaedo) David, The Death of Socrates (1787)

daviddeathsocrates
Jacques-Louis David (1748–1825), The Death of Socrates (1787), oil on canvas, 129.5 x 196.2 cm, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY. Wikimedia Commons.

Sphinx (also see Oedipus and the Sphinx) (classical myth) Vedder, The Sphinx of the Seashore (1879)

veddersphinxseashore
Elihu Vedder (1836–1923), The Sphinx of the Seashore (1879), oil on canvas, 40.6 x 71.1 cm, Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, de Young, San Francisco, CA. The Athenaeum.

Time, Father, allegories (allegory) Bronzino; Poussin, A Dance to the Music of Time (c 1634-6), Time Defending Truth against the Attacks of Envy and Discord (1641); Mignard; Batoni

poussindancemusictime
Nicolas Poussin (1594–1665), A Dance to the Music of Time (c 1634-6), oil on canvas, 82.5 × 104 cm, The Wallace Collection, London. Wikimedia Commons.

Venus, triumph (classical myth) Magnasco, The Triumph of Venus (1720-30)

magnascotriumphvenus
Alessandro Magnasco (1667–1749), The Triumph of Venus (1720-30), oil on canvas, 118.1 x 148.6 cm, The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles, CA. Courtesy of The J. Paul Getty Museum.