Classical Myth in Western Art: Ancient through Modern

Essay by Karl Kilinski II

GREEK and Roman myths are arresting tales filled with adventure, mystery, and romance about divinities and heroes from classical antiquity. We are readily attracted to these fascinating stories of supernatural beings, as tales which gratify our desire to know more about other worlds and other forms of existence. Beyond the interesting tales about immortals, however, lie important messages regarding a broad range of human experiences, not necessarily restricted to ancient society. A primary reason for studying classical myths is the constant realization that many of our modern hopes and fears were acknowledged and addressed in these tales many centuries ago. The persistence of classical myths as popular artistic themes and as vehicles for commentary on human experience results from--and testifies to--their universal value.

            The true quality of myths lies in their elasticity: artists have altered and embellished, elaborated and amended them throughout their existence, which stems from before historical times. First appearing in the painting and sculpture, poetry and drama of the ancient Greeks, the classical myths came to be used in other forms of artistic expression in Western culture: music, literature, opera, dance, and, most recently, film.

            The exhibition, Classical Myth in Western Art: Ancient through Modern, emphasizes the longevity and assorted uses of ancient Greek myths in Western art. The works selected for the exhibit represent diverse media: ceramics, sculpture, painting, graphics, glyptics, and textiles spanning twenty-five centuries from classical antiquity to the present day. These art works were lent to the exhibition from some of the most distinguished collections in this country, and their images have been carefully reproduced for this photographic version of the original exhibition.

            Classical Myth in Western Art comprises eight myths, which have been categorized into four themes: Loves and Lusts, Heroes and Beasts, Magic and Magicians, and Metamorphoses. Each theme is represented by two myths; each myth, by four to six art works. As is the nature of classical myths, however, each myth in the exhibition embodies elements that overlap with those in other myths. The myths of Europa and Danae, for instance, both conjure up images of beautiful maidens who are the object of sexual advances; but Zeus in the guise of a bull traveling over the broad sea provides an aura of magic and bestiality to the myth of Europa, while his transformation into a bull or golden rain, for Danae, adds the supernatural tone that characterizes metamorphosis. The episode of Circe and Odyseus and his transformed crewmen combines sex, magic, bestiality, and physical alterations. Orpheus, like Actaeon and Medusa, will die a violent death; like Heracles and Theseus, he fulfills the heroic image by challenging Death himself in his efforts to rescue his beloved Eurydice.

            Fortunately for us, various interpretations may be applied to any single myth. There is no one correct interpretation of a Greek myth that restricts an artist to a previously charted meaning. Therefore, artists in different eras could and did draw on the same ancient tales time and time again, with different meanings and interpretations infused in their selections. In ancient Greece painters and sculptors were inspired by theatrical production in rendering myths, or they were fascinated with the power of the animals, real or fantastic. Also, one cannot ignore the Greeks' spirit of competition when considering why so many of their artists turned repeatedly to the theme of heroes combating ferocious creatures.

            During Hellenistic and Roman times, powerful rulers likened their images to those of mythical gods and heroes, in order to enhance their status. Roman artists were stirred by the erotic poetry of Ovid, Catullus, and Propertius to render mythical love tales in landscape settings.

The rise of Christian Europe during the twilight of ancient Greece and Rome allowed artists to adapt mythical subjects from pagan iconography to Christian illustrations of biblical stories. Although some religious leaders of the early Christian era attempted to eradicate all reminders of the pagan past, the gods and goddesses of old survived on astrological charts compiled by Ptolemaic astrologers in Egypt and passed on to the more scientific-minded clergy in medieval Europe. The ancient myths of valiant heroes, especially the Trojan sagas, were kept alive by chivalrous knights, lords, and ladies of European courts who claimed to trace their ancestry back to Troy and the Heroic Age.

            The Renaissance brought a renewal of classical ideals and humanist values and therewith the rebirth of classical myth in art. During this age and the following period of Baroque art, artists drew from the storehouse of classical myths to make allegorical statements, to create nostalgic landscapes, and to devise settings for the magnificent classical sculptures being unearthed, especially in Italy. The often sensuous forms of human figures, first rendered as mythological subjects, became fashionable in art, especially in intellectual centers, where artists had once been restricted ascetic images of saints.

             Though we now live in what is termed a "scientific" age, modern art is distinguished by the varied uses and interpretations that are made of classical myths. These mythical representations are frequently quite personal for the artists, highly symbolic, and, especially after Sigmund Freud, laden with psychological overtones. Although it may seem that artists are subverting a public possession--the myth--into a private experience, the very personal statement of the artist becomes public knowledge because the myth has a core of meaning that is universally recognized.

            As we continue to plumb the depths and heights of human experience in search of greater knowledge, artists will undoubtedly return to the classical myths, redefining and embellishing them to define and give expression to the varieties of human experience.

Contemplating Classical Myths in Modern Life

            Two modern industries which make conspicuous use of classical myths are the military—especially in the naming of nuclear-powered equipment—and commercial advertising. For instance, we have been defended by the Triton submarine and Nike missiles. Our astronauts have traveled on Mercury, Apollo, and Gemini spacecrafts (named ostensibly for planets and stars, but ultimately for the Greek gods, whose names were related to heavenly bodies by ancient cosmologers). Why, however, should modern military technology be related to classical myths? Is the evocation of an ancient myth an effective strategy?

            Advertising relies upon mythology not only in the naming of products but also in the creating of logos, or symbols, that stand for the name of a service or product. Mobil Oil has the flying red horse; household dirt, grime, and grease are vanquished by Mr. Clean. What myths are implied by the logo and the product? Considering that fewer and fewer people are really familiar with classical myths, why do advertisers and merchandisers still rely upon myths to attract the public? What other commercial uses of myths can you name?

            If these myths abound in everyday culture, why is it sometimes suggested that artists are being pretentious, obscure, or "dishonest" if they use myths in their work? This is not said, of course, of all artists nor of all works that have reflected mythical characters and adventures; but there is a level of uneasiness, as though artists should not be interpreting old subjects but should be inventing something new—or that they should not conceal the newness of a work by relating it to something ancient. But the question remains for us to answer: Why do modern artists rely upon classical myths? What do these myths tell us about modern life?

            The exhibition, Classical Myths in Western Art: Ancient through Modern, was organized by Dr. Karl Kilinski,II, for presentation in the Meadows Gallery of Southern Methodist University, Dallas, and the Amarillo Art Center. Funding for the exhibition was provided in part by grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Texas Council for the Humanities, a state partner of the Endowment.

            Designed to illustrate the enduring popularity of Greek myths in Western art from ancient times to the present, the original exhibition (and this photo-panel version) has departed from the customary arrangement of works by eras or by regions. Instead, the works are grouped into four themes: Loves and Lusts (the sexual drive), Heroes and Beasts (animal nature), Magic and Magicians (supernatural powers), and Metamorphoses (existing in different forms and on different planes). These four themes reflect enduring human drives that are as powerful today as they were three thousand years ago. Through this thematic presentation, the viewer is able to trace the visual precedents and literary sources for each theme through the centuries and across countries.

            This photographic version of the exhibition has been organized for the Texas Humanities Resource Center by Dr. Kilinski, for use in public humanities programs that seek to enhance the viewer's understanding of mythology, comparative art forms, and the continuity of human nature. The exhibit and accompanying materials may be used by any organization anywhere in free-admission programs and activities. These resources are made available through grants from Texas Council for the Humanities

Suggested Readings

Campbell, Joseph. Hero With a Thousand Faces. Princeton, NJ.: Princeton Univ.  Press, 1968.

        [Comparisons of the heroic character in numerous cultures.]

Guthrie, W.D.C. The Greeks and Their Gods. Boston: Beacon Press, 1968.

        [A good basic narration of Greek mythology.]

Henle, Jane. Greek Myths: A Vase Painter's Notebook. Bloomington, IN.: Indiana Univ. Press, 1973.

        [Excellent study of Greek myths depicted on ancient Greek vases.]

Kilinski, Karl II. Classical Myth in Western Art: Ancient through Modern (Exhibition catalog). Dallas: Meadows Museum and Gallery,  Southern Methodist University, 1985.

Kirk, G.S. The Nature of Greek Myths. New York: Penguin Books, 1975.

        [An excellent study of the origins, developments, uses, and meanings of myths.]

Kravitz, David. Who's Who in Greek and Roman Mythology. New York:  Crown, 1975.

        [A good choice among several dictionaries on classical mythological characters.]

Jacobs, Michael. Mythological Painting. New York: Smith Publishers, 1975.

        [Profusely illustrated study of the use of classical myths by Renaissance and Baroque painters.]

Schefold, Karl. Myth and Legend in Early Greek Art. Trans. Audrey Hicks.  New York: H.N. Abrams, 1966.

        [Excellent survey of the use of Greek myths in visual arts in the 7th and 6th centuries B.C.]

Stanford, William B. The Quest for Ulysses. New York: Praeger, 1974.

        [Traces the Odysseus myths in art from antiquity to modern times.]

Trendall, A.D., and T.B.L. Webster. Illustrations of Greek Drama. New York Praeger, 1971.

        [Traces the representations of Greek drama in the visual arts.]