Mythology
There is no single mythology. There are, however, multiple, mysterious mythologies, which have been sources of fascination and terror across the centuries. Starting in Ancient Egypt and passing through Greece and Rome, we find ourselves in Scandinavia, the birthplace of Celtic myths. Art has always been linked to beliefs, and each of these belief systems and mythologies has their own aesthetic codes and cultural practices. The most popular version of mythology is undoubtedly the Greco-Roman variations, which have been retold and reconfigured time and time again throughout the ages. It has also served as a constant source of inspiration for artists, allowing them to reference common themes which facilitated the interpretation of their works. Nowadays, mythology can therefore be found in all possible artistic forms.
Apart from Antiquity, during which it was commonplace, Greco-Roman mythology first came to the fore during the 15th century. By definition, during the Renaissance it was well seen to imitate the classics by using their codes and allegories.One of the most famous example of this period is Botticelli's Venus and its virginal splendour. Venus, in fact, is one of the figures most appreciated by artists, inspiring among other things Ingres for his Grande Odalisque or Manet's Olympia. More recently, the Venus of Milo was revisited, notably by Hans Peter Feldmann and Jim Dine.
From the 16th to the 18th century, mythological paintings symbolized an ideal world for artists, nostalgic for the lost unity between man and nature. As an instrument of political propaganda, mythology was used for the glorification of monarchs and their court, syncretised in allegorical paintings. Finally, for aesthetes, mythological motifs catalysed a certain sensuality serving the ideal of pure beauty and mad passions sought by artists. Driven by the Gustave Moreau's symbolic reflections, mythology became a powerful philosophical vector at the end of the Belle Epoque.
During the 20th century, it was Klimt who was passionate about Greek aesthetics in his representation of the female figure. His representation of Danae and while Pallas Athena embodies the woman of power. Mirroring his own situation, he painted Sappho as a melancholic artist. Recently, great names such as Jeff Koons in his Gazing Balls or Banksy through his sculptures re-used the aesthetics of the Greek statue. The American artist Adam Reeder reclaims mythology from a perspective of social commentary, representing Greek gods and heroes interacting with Apple products. In photography, too, myth inspires. Kimiko Yoshida's "Paintings" series, for example, includes famous works such as Veronese's Venus, giving them a futuristic aspect. Finally, we see Louise Bourgeois' Maman invading cities around the world, a bittersweet re-reading of the myth of Arachne.
For our contemporaries, the codes of mythology are therefore more relevant than ever in the world of art. The legacy of the Ancients will not be forgotten any time soon, especially with the recent return of fantastic epic in literature and cinema.
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Nymph, Satyr and apprentice
Olivier Massebeuf
Painting - 130 x 97 x 2 cm Painting - 51.2 x 38.2 x 0.8 inch
$1,734
Le dieu Pan
Christophe Charbonnel
Sculpture - 135 x 63 x 45 cm Sculpture - 53.1 x 24.8 x 17.7 inch
$69,352
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Painting - 80 x 90 x 2 cm Painting - 31.5 x 35.4 x 0.8 inch
$2,890
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Christophe Charbonnel
Sculpture - 130 x 105 x 120 cm Sculpture - 51.2 x 41.3 x 47.2 inch
$150,263
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Catherine Clare
Painting - 92 x 65 x 2 cm Painting - 36.2 x 25.6 x 0.8 inch
$2,659
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Nina Khemchyan
Sculpture - 44 x 44 x 24.5 cm Sculpture - 17.3 x 17.3 x 9.6 inch
$9,131
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Rakhmet Redzhepov (Ramzi)
Painting - 80 x 100 x 2 cm Painting - 31.5 x 39.4 x 0.8 inch
$4,623
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Painting - 116 x 81 x 2 cm Painting - 45.7 x 31.9 x 0.8 inch
$1,387
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Catherine Clare
Painting - 92 x 73 x 2.5 cm Painting - 36.2 x 28.7 x 1 inch
$2,081
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Painting - 120 x 90 x 3 cm Painting - 47.2 x 35.4 x 1.2 inch
$1,387
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Niki Singleton
Painting - 30.48 x 40.64 x 2 cm Painting - 12 x 16 x 0.8 inch
$2,928
Les cavaliers de l’apocalypse
Lionel Morateur
Photography - 60 x 120 x 0.5 cm Photography - 23.6 x 47.2 x 0.2 inch
$2,543
La chute des anges rebelles
Lionel Morateur
Photography - 80 x 120 x 0.5 cm Photography - 31.5 x 47.2 x 0.2 inch
$2,081
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Photography - 60 x 120 x 0.5 cm Photography - 23.6 x 47.2 x 0.2 inch
$1,618
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Adélaïde Leferme
Painting - 130 x 93 x 5 cm Painting - 51.2 x 36.6 x 2 inch
$1,907
Adam's Garden
Niki Singleton
Painting - 75.56 x 57.15 x 2 cm Painting - 29.7 x 22.5 x 0.8 inch
$6,043
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Bruno Mallart
Print - 129 x 57 x 3 cm Print - 50.8 x 22.4 x 1.2 inch
$5,201
"Atlas, le Titan tétanisé" Effet Bronze Antique
Arson
Sculpture - 60 x 25 x 25 cm Sculpture - 23.6 x 9.8 x 9.8 inch
$5,548
"Atlas, le Titan tétanisé" Fer rouillé
Arson
Sculpture - 60 x 25 x 25 cm Sculpture - 23.6 x 9.8 x 9.8 inch
$5,548
Iconic Beauty #04
Benoit Lapray
Photography - 40 x 40 x 0.5 cm Photography - 15.7 x 15.7 x 0.2 inch
$694
Burried Passion Her Fallen Hopes
Coarse
Sculpture - 30.5 x 43 x 12.5 cm Sculpture - 12 x 16.9 x 4.9 inch
$1,734
The Fleeting Thoughts Nymph Mythology
Ruslana Levandovska
Painting - 76.2 x 61 x 1.9 cm Painting - 30 x 24 x 0.75 inch
$4,000
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Jean Christophe Stauder
Painting - 24 x 18 x 1 cm Painting - 9.4 x 7.1 x 0.4 inch
$289
Nisus et Euryale - Énéide de Virgile - série Mythologie romaine
Henri Mahé dit HIM
Painting - 73 x 60 x 2 cm Painting - 28.7 x 23.6 x 0.8 inch
$3,612
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Daniel Dicenta
Photography - 112 x 100 x 1 cm Photography - 44.1 x 39.4 x 0.4 inch
$2,659
The Labours of Hercule - Apples from the garden of the Hesperides
Ossip Zadkine
Print - 53 x 69 x 0.2 cm Print - 20.9 x 27.2 x 0.1 inch
$405
Qui ne ressemble à rien
Francky Criquet
Painting - 206 x 127 x 4 cm Painting - 81.1 x 50 x 1.6 inch
$7,976
Daphné poursuivie par Apollon
Alain Vintenon
Painting - 56 x 71 x 4 cm Painting - 22 x 28 x 1.6 inch
$4,817
Broken Myth (Diptych)
Michael James O'Brien
Photography - 76.2 x 101.6 x 0.3 cm Photography - 30 x 40 x 0.1 inch
$5,000
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Mauricio Velez
Photography - 61 x 91.4 x 0.3 cm Photography - 24 x 36 x 0.1 inch
$2,500
Dance of Pleasure
Ekatherina Savtchenko
Painting - 70 x 90 x 3 cm Painting - 27.6 x 35.4 x 1.2 inch
$11,559
Mona "Réécriture coloniale"
Kevin-Ademola Sangosanya
Painting - 250 x 180 cm Painting - 98.4 x 70.9 inch
$9,941
Gyoia
Massimiliano Pelletti
Sculpture - 170 x 50 x 50 cm Sculpture - 66.9 x 19.7 x 19.7 inch
$150,263
Vénus Marine
Emile-François Chambon
Painting - 45 x 37 x 0.5 cm Painting - 17.7 x 14.6 x 0.2 inch
$14,795
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Mauricio Velez
Photography - 152.4 x 101.6 cm Photography - 60 x 40 inch
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The Labours of Hercule - The Boar Of Eyrmanthos
Ossip Zadkine
Print - 53 x 69 x 0.2 cm Print - 20.9 x 27.2 x 0.1 inch
$405
The Labours of Hercule - The Pillars of Hercules
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Print - 53 x 69 x 0.2 cm Print - 20.9 x 27.2 x 0.1 inch
$405
La Gourmandise
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Fine Art Drawings - 70 x 100 x 1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 27.6 x 39.4 x 0.4 inch
$4,508
Vénus, Adonis et Cupidon, N°3
Catherine Clare
Print - 25 x 18 x 0.1 cm Print - 9.8 x 7.1 x 0 inch
$370
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Catherine Clare
Print - 25 x 18 x 0.1 cm Print - 9.8 x 7.1 x 0 inch
$370
Vénus, Adonis et Cupidon, N°2
Catherine Clare
Print - 25 x 18 x 0.1 cm Print - 9.8 x 7.1 x 0 inch
$370
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Painting - 30 x 30 x 2 cm Painting - 11.8 x 11.8 x 0.8 inch
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Fine Art Drawings - 50 x 65 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 19.7 x 25.6 x 0 inch
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