Carrying infants, including Moses, figs with a few asps, the master’s dinner, Manet’s luncheon on the grass, snacks, banquets, and fruit.
Moreau
Played by warriors including Paris of Troy and Achilles, also by Saint Cecilia, angels, and a siren. And with only one string left, in Watts’ allegory of Hope.
In classical times, they were strummed like a guitar rather than plucked. Apollo, Orpheus and lyric poets from Raphael, Rubens, Waterhouse and others.
Young Phaëthon challenges the god of the sun, Phoebus, to prove he is his father, and takes his chariot on a ride to disaster and death.
She agrees to help Jason complete his three tasks and take possession of the Golden Fleece, in return for which Jason will marry her.
Jupiter wipes out unworthy humans in a flood. One pious couple survive, and go on to re-create humanity transformed from stones. This leaves the monstrous Python to be killed by Apollo.
Rubens’ hunting scenes and Delacroix, the last of his shipwrecks, Sorolla’s fishing scenes, Arthurian legend, the story of Salome, and more.
A simple story of an unsuccessful attempt at abduction and rape becomes a compositional struggle. It also results in the death of Heracles.
How Perseus comes to the aid of Andromeda as she’s left chained to a rock, awaiting her fate as the next meal of Cetus the sea-monster.
In 1876, Moreau recast Salome as the author of John the Baptist’s execution, amplified by Oscar Wilde, Richard Strauss, and the Dance of the Seven Veils.
