8th grade

Theme: Art begins with myth

Mythology (Greek μυθολογία - legend, legend and Greek λόγος - word, story, teaching)

This is a system of perception of the world, based on traditional legends, images, characterized by metaphor, faith in the miraculous.

This is a way of communicating with a higher reality, with the gods, in which a person, as it were, imitates them.

Gods and other supernatural beings are nearby for him, they are almost real and at the same time fabulous.

Myth is a synthesis of earthly reality with otherworldly reality.

Myths existed among all peoples of the world. All types of art used mythology in one way or another, because myth is a very interesting, vivid, figurative material.

Such synthetic arts as theater, opera, and cinematography especially often turned to myth.

The combination of music and literary text, entertainment and ideological richness can have a particularly strong effect on people.

In music, myths were also used very often, because. music acts simultaneously on the mind and on the senses, which is a necessary condition for the perception of the myth.

What kind examples of the use of myths in music we know?

First of all, classical myths - the myths of Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome (example: Gluck's "Orpheus")

myths of the Northwest (Germanic-Scandinavian, Celtic) - myths of Edda and Elder Edda among the Germanic peoples, myths about King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table - in Celtic mythology (examples: "King Arthur" by H. Purcell, operas by Richard Wagner)

Slavic mythology (examples: "The Snow Maiden", "The Legend of the Invisible City of Kitezh and the Maiden Fevronia" by N. Rimsky-Korsakov)

Important elements of the myth:

images of nature

Magic cities: Montsalvat Castle for the Northwest, Kitezh for Russia.

Characters

The ideological content of the myth is its plot

Today we will talk about the German composer R. Wagner (1813-1883)

The central place in Wagner's heritage is occupied by operas (there are thirteen of them in total), which capture the national character, recreate the legends and traditions of the German people, majestic pictures of nature. His operas contain a rich, complex world of ideas and human experiences: heroism, nature, love.

We will listen "Ride of the Valkyries" from the opera "Valkyrie".

Valkyrie - in Scandinavian mythology, the daughter of a glorious warrior or king, who flies on a winged horse over the battlefield and takes the lives of warriors. The dead soldiers are sent to the heavenly chamber - Valhalla. Dew drips from the manes of their horses (clouds), and light shines from their swords. Warrior maidens are depicted wearing helmets, with shields and spears; from the brilliance of their armor, according to legend, the northern lights appear in the sky. The image of the Valkyrie is used in modern literary works of the fantasy genre, as well as in computer games, the drug Valkyrin even came from their names.

Wagner imitates whirling currents: "gusts of wind", "screeching and whistling", surrounding the main theme, give the impression of the authenticity of the action. However, for the main theme, Wagner chose a different prototype: the image of long jumps following one after another emerges here.

The melody is built in such a way that each next motive seems to build on the previous one, each phrase first acts as a “landing”, an accent, and immediately serves as a brief and energetic impetus for the next phase of the movement. So Wagner shows the flight-jump, the flight of warrior maidens, weighed down by heavy armor.

Wagner's music turned out to be so close to the German people, the heroic images of Wagner's operas are so strong that in the 20th century, German fascism in the person of A. Hitler appropriated the Wagner image of the fearless young Siegfried and made him a symbol of the nation.

The composer, therefore, artistically talented brought to life the world of collective national ideas.

The book of the French painter Rene Menard is a unique phenomenon in world literature. For several decades, it has rightly been called the best work on mythology and art. Menard was the first of the scientists who not only retold ancient myths, but also managed to find their reflection in art.
"Myths in Art Old and New" - the best guide to the most famous museums in the world! You will discover the secrets of great paintings, you will touch the mysteries of history and learn the meaning of the immortal creations of famous painters and sculptors.

CHILDHOOD OF THE GODS.
Primitive, or primitive, mythology is that figurative, poetic language that the ancient peoples used to explain the phenomena of nature. Everything visible in nature was taken by the ancients as the visible image of a deity: earth, sky, sun, stars, mountains, volcanoes, rivers, streams, trees - all these were deities, whose history was sung by ancient poets, and their images were sculpted by sculptors. The sun seemed to their imagination a brilliant god, forever fighting against the dark deity - night; a volcano throwing lava streams over long distances was a giant daring to attack the sky; when the eruption ceased, this meant that Jupiter the victor threw the bold one into the underworld (Tartarus); the storm personified the wrath of Neptune, and wanting to explain the earthquake, the ancient peoples said: "Neptune struck the earth with his trident." To explain the actions and deeds of these gods, countless myths were composed. Revolutions in nature, even everyday occurrences, gave rise to them. Thus, for example, the myth of the abduction of Hylas by the nymphs clearly shows how the poetic language of ancient myths should be understood. Told today by a newspaper reporter in modern language, this incident would present itself to us in this form: “Our town is agitated by the following sad incident: young Hylas, having gone in the morning to bathe, drowned.” The Greeks, on the other hand, composed a touching myth about him, which says: “Gilas was so beautiful that the nymphs kidnapped him and dragged him to the bottom of the river.”

In the initial era of the appearance of myths, the images of the gods were not, so to speak, portraits of the gods, but only their symbols, and they tried to give the head features or a turn characteristic of each god, the hands held many attributes; often with too many of these attributes, the images became scary or comical. They were treated like humans: they were washed, smeared with fragrant oils and ointments, dressed and adorned with jewels (see Fig. 1). With the passage of time, the arts improved, and the Greeks already always give their gods human forms, “because,” says Phidias, “we did not know anything more perfect than human forms.” Statues then become real works of art, immortal masterpieces; a mass of travelers begins to visit temples, driven not only by piety, but also by the desire to admire these beautiful images. So, for example, Aphrodite Praxiteles in Knidos attracted all art lovers and admirers of pure beauty.

CONTENT
Childhood of the Gods 7
Jupiter (Zeus) 19
Juno (Hera) 27
Fate or Rock 35
Sleep and Death 43
Hell (Tartarus) 52
Conscience 58
Neptune (Poseidon) and his retinue 69
Polyphemus and Galatea 73
Rivers 75
Nymphs 78
Seafaring 82
Ceres (Demeter) 93
Apollo 104
Apollo 108 tripod
Lyra (kifara) of Apollo 115
Muses 119
Orpheus 124
Arrows of Apollo 126
Apollo and Aesculapius 129
Helios, or Sun 133
Diana (Artemis), sister of Apollo 138
Castor and Pollux (Dioscuri) 145
Vulcan, or Hephaestus 148
Prometheus 153
Daedalus 160
Minerva, or Pallas Athena 164
Gorgons and Perseus 173
Mars, or Ares 180
Venus, or Aphrodite 184
Adonis and the Graces 191
Cupid, or Eros, or Cupid 196
Hermes or Mercury
Pan
Vesta, or Hestia
Bacchus or Dionysus
Strong. centaurs
The birth and upbringing of Bacchus
Heroic or mystical Bacchus
Hercules, or Hercules
The Twelve Labors of Hercules
Other exploits of Hercules and his apotheosis
Theseus
Beginning of the Trojan War. Apple of discord
Elena's kidnapping
Greek kings
Hector
Achilles
Allies of Priam
The fate of Troy
Fall and sack of Troy
Return of the Greek Heroes
Aeneas and the Trojans
Gods of Egypt
Afterword 358.

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Those who want to see something that was not really there can turn to paintings of a certain genre. Such canvases depict fabulous creatures, heroes of legends and traditions, folklore events. Artists of the mythological genre write in this manner.

How to bring a painting to life

Undoubtedly, in order to display events that he did not see with his own eyes, the master must have excellent imagination and know the plot of the work on the basis of which he is going to create. In order for the viewer to like the picture, one must skillfully use the brush, then the images that exist in the artist’s head will come to life and turn into a fairy tale in reality. Masters who can do this have become famous all over the world. Among the famous names: Botticelli, Vasnetsov, Mantegna, Cranach, Giorgione.

Origin

The mythological genre in art appeared when people stopped believing in what their ancestors told them. Works on the theme of past events became simple stories in which the existence of their heroes was actually called into question. It was then that the artists were able to give free rein to their imagination and depict on canvas the participants in ancient events as they imagined them. The mythological genre in the visual arts flourished in a special way in the Renaissance. Moreover, in each century, different legends became subjects for creativity, since there was no shortage of them. Initially, the mythological genre assumed the image of the heroes of ancient Greece and the events associated with their lives. Gradually, in the 17th century, scenes filled with special meaning appeared in the paintings, affecting aesthetic and moral problems close to life's realities. And already in the 19-20 centuries, the field of activity of an artist working in such a direction as the mythological genre became especially wide. Celtic, Germanic, Indian, and Slavic myths serve as the basis for the image.

Sandro Botticelli

This painter was the first to use the mythological genre to create. Before him, subjects of this kind were used for decorative ornaments. Private customers made an order, often coming up with what should be depicted and what semantic load it would carry. Therefore, they were understandable only to those who bought such work. It is interesting that the master painted his paintings in such a way that they would be combined with any pieces of furniture and everyday life. Therefore, the unusual size or shape of his paintings is justified by the fact that, in combination with the subject for which they were painted, everything looked quite harmonious. Among his works are known "The Birth of Venus", "Spring". Botticelli also used the mythological genre to paint altars. Famous works of this kind include the "Annunciation of Cestello" and, together with John the Baptist.

Andrea Mantegna

The mythological genre in the visual arts brought fame to this artist. In particular, his painting "Parnassus" was made in this direction. Only such a connoisseur of antiquity as Mantegna could create such a canvas, filled with subtle allegories, some of which have not yet been solved. The main plot of the picture is the love of Mars and Venus. It was their figures that the artist placed in the center. This is adultery, so Mantegna considered it necessary to reflect the indignation of the deceived husband, Hephaestus. He left his room and stands at the entrance to the forge, sending curses towards the couple in love. Two and Mercury, contributing to the convergence of Mars and Venus, are also present in the picture. In addition, nine dancing muses are depicted here, who are capable of causing a volcanic eruption with their singing. But to the right of the center of the picture is Pegasus. This winged horse, according to legend, was able to stop the eruption by stamping its hoof.

Giorgione

The master painted several paintings in the mythological genre. Among them is "Sleeping Venus", which the author could not finish, because in the process of creation he fell ill with the plague and died. Until now, disputes continue about who completed the canvas. Also famous is Judith. This picture was created on the basis of a biblical story. This topic has also occupied other artists, but on the Giorgione canvas it is depicted modest, gentle and full of dignity. She steps on the head of Holofernes with her foot. This is a negative character, but his appearance does not repel the viewer, although at that time negative characters were portrayed as ugly.

Viktor Vasnetsov

The creator of the canvases, on which everyone's favorite fairy tales came to life, represents the mythological genre in painting in his works. It’s no surprise that children love his paintings. After all, they depict the heroes of the works of Russian folklore beloved and familiar from childhood. The mythological genre allows the artist to show his imagination and depict on the canvas what he imagines in his imagination. But Vasnetsov's works touch the spiritual strings of a person so much that they resonate in every heart.

Maybe because he loved and was able to convey in his works the versatility of Russian nature. Everyone's favorite birches cannot but touch with their quiet sadness. Everything that a person sees in Vasnetsov's paintings is familiar to him. Even recognizable, although they could not be seen anywhere before. The master's works do not just depict, they teach how pure female beauty, masculinity and heroic strength should look. Therefore, his work is familiar to everyone. These are such paintings as "The Snow Maiden", "Alyonushka", "Bogatyrs", "Ivan Tsarevich and the Gray Wolf", "Koschey the Immortal".

Mikhail Vrubel

The mythological genre became the basis of the work of the equally famous painter Mikhail Vrubel. Everyone knows his painting "The Swan Princess", based on Pushkin's fairy tale. Although the image is quite mythological, in fact, Vrubel portrayed his wife in She sang in the opera, the scenery for which was also painted by her husband. The colors used by the master fill the image with tenderness and lightness. The author tried to convey the moment when the bird turns into a beautiful princess. He succeeded quite well. Until now, the magical effect of his paintings makes many people become fans of his work.

The mythological genre is interesting, awakens the imagination not only of the artist, but also of the viewer. And most importantly, there are many sources for inspiration, so the scope for creativity is endless.

Today our conversation is about Greek culture, in particular about mythology, and about its influence on the entire world culture. Answer: We study the myths of Ancient Greece because they are well preserved and influenced the development of world culture. Teacher: what teaching is there in the myths about the Argonauts? In 1910, he wrote the poetic legend "The Abduction of Europe" and several versions of "The Odyssey and Navzikai". Narrator: In the mountains of Northern Greece, Leonidas chose the place where the Greeks were preparing to repulse Xerxes. What are the names of artists who used myths in their work? What are the names of poets who were interested in the work of the ancient Greeks.

Place of myth in the visual arts

No hero of mythology enjoyed such popularity in art as Hercules. Artists of all eras depicted him from the cradle to the divine apotheosis, inclusive. The wedding feast was luxurious. All the gods of Olympus participated in it. The golden cithara of Apollo sounded loudly, under its sounds the muses sang about the great glory that would be the lot of the son of Peleus and the goddess Thetis. Participated in the round dance and quick as a thought, the messenger of the gods Hermes, and the frantic god of war Ares, who had forgotten about the bloody battles. Known for its destructiveness, later (Apuley, Metamorphoses, IV 35) was presented as a gentle, soft wind; this Zephyr, at the behest of Eros, took Psyche to his domain. Michel Corneille Jr. - Judgment of Midas The plot is based on an ancient Greek myth. The king of Phrygia, Midas, was a judge in the musical competition of the god Apollo and Pan (in another version, Marsyas). The proud creator of the horse painted all its virtues with bright colors, and everyone decided that Minerva had nothing to think of surpassing Neptune. Rene-Antoine Wasse - Minerva teaches the inhabitants of Rhodes the art of sculpture Minerva, corresponding to the Greek Athena Pallas, is the Italian goddess of wisdom.

The name is the source of the myth

Many works of music, literature, painting are written according to the plots of the myths of ancient Greece, and have become masterpieces, the property of world art. The plots of the myths of ancient Greece were addressed by P. Sokolov and K. Bryullov, I. Directors of our time also turned to the theme of myths, so a film about the travels of Odysseus was created.

In the Middle Ages, in the Renaissance, in the centuries of modern times, artists saw in the art of the ancient Greeks a wonderful example, an inexhaustible source of feelings, thoughts, inspiration. They were called myths (the Greek word "myth" means a story), and from them this name spread to the same works of other peoples. If we compare the definition of myth in different scientific schools, we can come to the conclusion that all spheres of not only ancient, but also modern man are permeated with myth. The masters of Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome embodied in their works many plots of myths and legends, personified and revived the gods and heroes of myths in sculpture and painting. Many potsherds and entire vessels have survived to this day, telling us about the deeds of heroes and gods, as well as giving us an idea of ​​the lifestyle of the ancient Greeks and their culture. Only a few ruins have survived. But even these ruins, full of indescribable beauty and grandeur, can be used to judge the art of ancient Greek architects.

Often a work of art cannot be understood without knowledge of mythology, especially if this art is ancient. Abstract objectives: to consider such issues as the general characteristics of ancient Greek culture, the main themes of ancient Greek myths and the reflection of myths in the sculpture of Ancient Greece. In ancient Greek art, interest in form was clearly manifested. For example, painters depicted not space itself, but figures in space. In their myths, the Greeks showed a wonderful sense of beauty, an artistic understanding of nature and history. He created smooth, gentle, fluid forms. The marble group “Hermes with Dionysus” that has come down to us in the original (Fig. -8) gives a vivid idea of ​​the style of Praxiteles' work. In all the sculptural monuments of the Hellenistic era, an emotional impulse, a moment of extreme effort of the will, an unstoppable striving forward are captured. As a result of the analysis, I concluded that the vast majority of ancient Greek sculpture was dedicated to the Olympian gods with their ideal of bodily and spiritual beauty. For the statues, sacrifices were made and prayers were offered, asking for well-being and a happy life. That is why the art of sculpture turned out to be the leading one in the culture of ancient Greece.

In ancient times, people endowed the inexplicable phenomena of the world around them with divine power and composed myths and legends about them. So, for example, the Venus of Praxiteles in Knidos attracted all art lovers and admirers of pure beauty in Greece. In the mythology of ancient Greece, the myth of the origin and existence of Jupiter is composed as follows.

MYTH is a legend that conveys the idea of ​​ancient peoples about the origin of the world and various natural phenomena. 1. The muse of epic poetry is ... The Muses of Ancient Greece Calliope Calliope K a l l i o p h - ("beautiful-voiced") - the mother of Orpheus, the muse of heroic poetry and eloquence. The name of this Muse comes from the name of Eros, the god of love. Erato is associated with the principle of Great Love, which gives wings. His son ... (Triton) causes storms with the sound of his trumpet from the shell. Deep underground reigns gloomy ... (Hades), another brother of the Thunderer ... (Zeus). Next to him is his beautiful wife ... (Persephone) In his underground kingdom, the waters of the river of oblivion ... (Leta) and the river of primeval horror ... (Styx) flow.

Phidias Zeus at Olympia (statue in gold and ivory in the main

PAN, in Greek mythology, the deity of herds, forests and fields. Pan is endowed with pronounced chthonic features, which are revealed both in the origin of Pan and in his appearance. Apollodorus of Athens was the first to include semitones in his palette, for which he received the nickname Shadow Painter. The culture of Ancient Greece is a set of achievements in the field of material culture of the Greek slave-owning society during its formation, prosperity and decline. Moira - “part”, “share”, hence the “fate” that everyone receives at birth - in ancient Greek mythology, the goddess of fate. ARES - in Greek mythology, the god of war, insidious, treacherous, war for the sake of war, in contrast to Pallas Athena - the goddess of fair and just war.

Myth as a word (this is the meaning of the Greek "mythos") was born along with the painting on the walls of the Paleolithic caves, along with the singing and dancing of their inhabitants as part of the ritual. By the first quarter of the 7th c. BC e. refers to the largest vessel of the geometric style, signed by the names of Clytia and Ergotima, called the "queen of vases" or, after the name of the discoverer, the François vase. The six belts of images represent the Calydonian hunt, games in honor of Patroclus, Achilles chasing Troilus, the battle of the pygmies with cranes, and many other subjects. At the same time, monumental paintings by Polygnotus, Parrhasius, Apelles and many other artists were painted on the plots of Greek myths, which were put on display in public places. The pediment of the Temple of Artemis in Corfu depicts a Gorgon surrounded by smaller panthers.

The artist Mikhail Vrubel boldly turned the Hellenic god of nature into a semi-fantastic creature close to our Russian mythology. Many artists used in their work the myth of the abduction of Europa by Zeus. The young god of love Amur, the son of Venus, is depicted, according to tradition, as a crafty boy with wings behind his back. Before you is a bronze figurine of A. Bari "Theseus and the Minotaur". Every 9th year, Athens had to send 7 young men and the same number of girls to the city of Knossos in Crete to be eaten by the half-bull-half-man monster Minotaur, who lives in the labyrinth. Then the lord of the gods Jupiter ordered Proserpina to spend one part of the year in the underworld, and the other - to enjoy the light.

There were original myths of the Romans, known from the works of Roman poets: Virgil, Ovid, Horace, etc. From the time of the conquest of Greece, Rome fell into the charm of Greek culture. The gods Apollo and Dionysus were most closely associated with art. Note that without mathematical calculations, in the 1st-2nd centuries. BC. the Greek Ctesbius from Alexandria (Egypt of the Hellenistic era) was hardly able to create the world's first polyphonic organ (hydraulos). Hermes, who once stole cows from Apollo, gave him a lyre made from a tortoise shell as a token of reconciliation. In the VI century BC, (during the reign of Peisistratus), the cult of Dionysus was spread throughout Ancient Greece. According to the myth, the lyre of Orpheus was thrown out by a sea wave on the shore of the island of Lesbos, where the first works of melic lyrics appeared (by Terpander of Lesbos). THEATER among the ancient Greeks was a national spectacle. The first tragedy was staged in 534 BC. Thespides of Athens.

Thorvaldsen, “Cupid and Psyche” and “Hebe” by Canova. Apollo and Artemis. Rhea Silvia, founder of Rome Romulus and king Numa Pompilius. Greece. In Argolis they told about the son of Zeus Perseus. Knossos on Crete. II millennium BC became Mycenae, Pylos, Tiryns.

Urania O u r a n i a - Muse of astronomy and the starry sky. Urania holds the celestial sphere in her hands and personifies the principle of knowledge, the sacred craving for everything high and beautiful, for the sky and the stars. Polyhymnia (Polymnia) P o l u m n i a - first the muse of dance, then pantomime, hymns, serious gymnasium poetry, which is credited with the invention of the lyre. Polyhymnia helped to "remember what was captured."

And today the heroes of Greek myths Odysseus, Adonis and Achaeus are not forgotten. In the first part of the Iliad, Homer cites one of the ancient hymns in praise of the sun god Helios. Four hundred years after the end of the era, called by historians "the dark times of Greece."

The myth says that one king had three beautiful daughters, of whom the youngest, Psyche, was the most beautiful of all. The fame of her beauty spread throughout the earth and many came to the city where Psyche lived to admire her. They even began to give her divine honors, forgetting Aphrodite. Finding herself under the same roof with her husband, but separated from him, Psyche had to endure all kinds of persecution of Aphrodite, who, wishing her death, came up with various impossible works. However, I still found several paintings connected with this "period" of world history in its ancient Greek version. Ivan Aivazovsky.

All of you have ever picked up books about ancient civilizations. I'm sure you didn't overlook history of ancient Greece. Of particular interest, of course, are the myths and legends of this greatest state.
Usually, for the first time we read these legends at school age. Unfortunately, the number of people who have managed to capture the very essence of the narratives is too small, but it is often just too lazy to read it again.

All biographies of the Greek gods and heroes are filled with the deepest philosophical and vital meaning. Many ideas and truths do not lie on the surface, and sometimes it is difficult to understand what it is all about, because in the legends the ancient authors used a great many allegories, allegories...
And really, it’s worth the effort, comprehending the forgotten language of antiquity in search of a magic word that will open the way for us to the treasury of wisdom.
But understanding the meaning of this or that narrative is only the beginning.

Why, you ask?..
Myths and legends of Ancient Greece inspired many creators and became the basis for the masterpieces they created.

In my project, I would like to introduce you to some of my favorite myths, legends and tales and show the creations of the great masters inspired by these stories, who embodied in their works the historical, cultural, philosophical significance of deeds and feats gods and heroes of ancient Greece.

It is especially exciting to compare the canvases of artists who are representatives of different eras, countries and styles. I will try to convey to you the idea that the painter pursued while working on the canvas. And also you will see how the views of the creators on the same ancient plot differ.
I think it's worth noting first that inhabitants of Olympus despite their divine essence, earthly desires and temptations were not alien. The gods fell in love, were jealous, were at enmity with each other and mortals. And the whole spiritual life of the people of that time revolved around art and poetry, to a lesser extent around philosophy. Hellene could not imagine life without admiring - long and repeated - objects of art and contemplation of beautiful buildings. The contemplation of human beauty was even more important for the Hellenes. That is why the gods were depicted in the guise of beautiful, well-built people, similar to mere mortals, but only outwardly. I think it should be clarified that Hellenism is the ancient art of the last quarter of the 4th - 1st centuries BC in Greece, the Eastern Mediterranean, the Black Sea, Western Asia, the Middle East, North Africa, in which the traditions of local and Greek culture are closely intertwined; arose as a result of the formation of Hellenistic monarchies and the spread of Hellenic culture in them after the conquest of the Persian state by Alexander the Great in the last quarter of the 4th century BC.

The artists not only tried to convey what the vision of the ancient Greeks was, but also to bring something of their own into the canvases, dictated by a different historical era.
Well, I think it will be very interesting for you to know in more detail what is the essence of my research. Then...read the following pages of my website.