Stories of the lives of Alexander, Julius Caesar, Phocion, and Cato the Younger, with superb paintings by Gérôme, Poussin, and others. And some lessons for today.
Moreau
Romance, horror, a surprise ending, and a satisfying moral: paintings by Ary Scheffer, William Blake, Gustave Moreau and others.
Alexander presses on into India, but stops short of crossing the River Ganges into South-East Asia. Fine paintings by Le Brun, Gustave Moreau, Valenciennes, and others.
In the nineteenth century, with the decline of patronage and changed art markets, fables become more popular among painter, at least before they gained patrons.
Born from the incestuous union of the King of Athens with his daughter, he survived an attempt on his life by Medea, and went on to kill the Minotaur of Crete. Paintings by Poussin, Moreau, and others.
Ovid’s fictional letter made it clear how the legend of Phaon was absurd. Yet it has been painted repeatedly ever since.
Was she abducted, seduced, or seducer? Victim or whore? Ovid’s pair of letters between Helen and Paris raises questions which many artists have tried to tackle.
The tragic story of Jason’s first wife, whom he abandoned in favour of Medea, the sorceress. In the end, Hypsipyle got her revenge on him.
In the past, people have accepted the reality of mythical creatures, such as winged angels, unicorns, and dragons. When did we start being more objective in our belief of what we see?
A story of murder by a would-be lover, or perhaps of voyeuristics obsession. How Polyphemus murdered Acis, as shown by Claude, Tischbein, Moreau, Redon, and others.
