A goddess almost never painted, but her priestesses, the Vestal Virgins, were far more popular. A small selection, ending in one of Gêrome’s grandest arena paintings.
Ricci
Was a primordial deity, attendant at Aphrodite’s birth, or her son by Ares/Mars? When did he get his bow and arrows? Answered in fine paintings.
Summary of the plot in the first half of Ariosto’s epic, with links to detailed accounts, and paintings by Delacroix, Rubens, Böcklin, Ingres and others.
The first caused war between centaurs and humans, in the second many were turned into stone, and the third caused the Trojan War
The best known scene in the story of Angelica and Medoro, as painted by Spranger, Ricci, Tiepolo and others.
Painting dreams relies on a compositional convention to show both the viewer’s image of the dream, and that of the dreamer.
Under the patronage of the d’Estes, Ariosto drew on Carolingian and Arthurian legend, and classical myths, to create his epic. With superb paintings to accompany.
How Perseus came to behead Medusa, and how her head restored order to the worst wedding reception ever. In paint, of course.
Two masterworks: Botticelli’s Primavera (Spring) and Poussin’s Empire of Flora, telling stories from Ovid. And they paintings they influenced.
Later painting of the Black Death and plague stressed the importance of divine intervention in limiting its spread.
