The slaying of a dragon/serpent, and transformation of its teeth into warriors, make for five superb paintings spanning most of the story.
narrative
Less than 30 lines of the book are devoted to the abduction of Europa, which has become its best-known and most-often painted story.
Two turned to stone: Battus for betraying Mercury, and Aglauros for obstructing Mercury’s courting of Herse, and her jealousy.
No less than 6 different stories, 4 transformations, 5 wonderful paintings, all from less than 150 lines of Latin verse.
Rape, ejection from society, transformation into a bear, then into a constellation: poor Callisto, but some superb narrative paintings.
One of the most dramatic and vivid myths, causing a ‘Great Fire’ which matches the Flood. Superb paintings from Rubens, Poussin, Moreau.
Probably the most sustained and brilliant series of narrative paintings since Rembrandt.
Comparison across a selection of his self-portraits and nudes shows how dramatically his style changed through his career.
A triple bill of myths, ingeniously interwoven into a story with four different metamorphoses – and some superb paintings.
Mentor to Gustave Moreau, his brief career showed his brilliance. Claimed by Ingres to be ‘the Napoleon of painting’.
The Eclectic Light Company 