Museum Man

The mythology of Greece tells the story of five Goddesses who ruled along with seven Gods from Mt. Olympus. Hera was both wife and sister to Zeus and is regarded as the queen of the Gods. Greek mythology cast the goddesses as the protectors and manipulators of the feminine aspect. They control love, fertility and the bounties of the Earth.  Like their male counterparts, the Goddesses can possess great wisdom and be prone to rash decisions.

Hera

The Goddess Hera was wife to Zeus, both born to Cronus and Rhea. She is viewed as the Goddess of women, marriage and childbirth. Many tales of Greek mythology center around the envy, distrust and vengeance Hera plotted against the love interests romanced by Zeus and the offspring who were fathered by her unfaithful and all powerful husband. Hercules, son to Zeus and the mortal Alceme, was just one of many to incur the vengeful goddess’ wrath. The Romans called her Juno.

Aphrodite

The most beautiful of all the goddesses, she was the deity of lust, sensuality and love. In Greek, her name translates to “risen from the foam” and Greek mythology tells the story of how she was created after Cronus severed Ouranos’ genitals and threw them into the seas. Other variations on her mythology suggest she was daughter to Zeus or Dione. Her unbelievable beauty was a danger in the eyes of the Gods, who believed it was inevitable that they would be plunged into all out war in order to gain her favor. Zeus married her off to Hephaestus, God to the blacksmiths who was crippled and homely according to Greek mythology. This did little to deter Aphrodite’s ability to use her physical perfection to toy with the hearts of Gods and mortals.  She was often depicted in ancient Greek statues in the Kallipygos pose, where her buttocks are raised and she admires them drawing in the gaze of those who watched.   In Rome, Aphrodite was referred to as Venus.

Artemis

The Greek goddess Artemis was daughter of Zeus and the mortal Leto, and twin sister to Apollo. Artemis was one of the three Virgin Goddesses in Greek mythology. As the Virgin Huntress, her rule over nature was absolute and she delivered fertility to the lands of all who sought her favor through worship. As sister to Apollo, God of the Sun, she became connected to the Moon. She is identified with the Roman goddess Diana.

Athena

While there are varying tales of how Athena became a goddess, it’s agreed that she is the daughter of Zeus and Metis, a Titan consort of the king of Gods. In the predominant origin tale; Zeus, was afraid that Metis would bear a child more powerful than himself, so he swallowed Metis whole. Athena was raised inside of Zeus by her mother and one day sprang from the King of the Gods head as a fully formed woman armed for battle. Athena was the Goddess of Wisdom and Knowledge who taught women to sew and weave and men how to tend the lands and metal works. She is one of the three virgin Goddesses along with Artemis and Hestia. She was the patron of the city of Athens and Parthenon was built to honor her.

Hestia

First born daughter of Rhea and Cronus, she was one of the three virgin Goddesses along with Athena and Hera. She was pursued by both Poseidon and Apollo who wished her hand in marriage, but she remained chaste as Zeus had commanded. Hestia was warmly regarded by those who worshiped her for her generous spirit and peaceful nature. Hestia spent her entire life at Mount Olympus, never engaging in the wars and conflicts that occupied the other gods. She was the only god or goddess worshippd in all temples regardless of their affiliation to a specific god.

Archangels were a popular subject of art from the the late Middle Ages to the end of the Renaissance Period.  As angels who played a pivotal role in many biblical stories, the four Archangels - Michael, Gabriel, Raphael and Uriel were prominent in religious lore of Christianity, Juadaism and Islam, although their greatest roles were often documented in apocryphal writings.

The most famed of the Archangel Michael resides in the Santa Maria della Concezione, in the first chael.  The work is from Italian artist Guido Reni, who favored the high-Baroque style which evolved from the Roman Catholic Churches edict that religious art should engage the commoner with dramatic and emotional appeal. Reni’s The Archangel Michael shows the fair haired, trim angel with androgynous features standing above Satan with his foot against the demon’s head forcing him into submission.  This is a scene from the Book of Revelations where Archangel Michael commands an Angel Army against the Devil and binds him for 1000 years. It is often referred to as Archangel Michael Slaying the Devil.

The Archangel Gabriel was the angel who announced to the Virgin Mary that she would be touched by God and bear a son named Jesus.  This biblical event is referred to as The Annunciation and is a common theme of Renaissance art.  The most famous Annuncation paintings are works by Da Vinci and Botticelli.  Da Vinci’s the Annunciation was painted from 1472-1475 and is credited to both Da Vinci and his mentor Andrea del Verrocchio.  The painting depicts Archangel Gabriel kneeling  before Mary, a Madonna lily in hand to symbolize Mary’s virginity.

Botticelli’s Cestello Annunciation, commissioned in 1489, captures the same event with similar imagery.  The painting is noted for its use of perspective in the tiles that lead the eye to the landscape.  The artist shows Gabriel with mouth open, to represent his words from the Gospel of Luke which were added into the paintings original frame.  Both paintings are on exhibit at the Uffizi Gallery in Florence.

Archangel Raphael was most often painted as the guardian of Tobias, son of Tobit on his journey to recover hidden money for his blind father, a passage from the Book of Tobit.  His role as protector and god of healing is evident in these paintings that show him leading the boy by his hand.  Filippino Lippi’s version of Tobias and the Angel can be seen at the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C.  The Book of Tobit became a popular subject for Rembrandt, who embraced the story of the pious family challenged by adversity and assisted by the Archangel Raphael.

Da Vinci used Archangel Uriel as the subject of two nearly identical paintings titled Virgin of the Rocks or Madonna of the Rocks.  The painting depict a moment where the baby Jesus encounters his cousin John the Baptist as an infant.  In the paintings, the Archangel Gabriel looks on.  Subtle variations can be seen in Da Vinci’s two works.  In the version of the painting on display in the National Gallery in London, Mary, Jesus and John are haloed.  In the version that can be seen in the Lourve, Uriel points at John. Dan’ Brown’s Da Vinci Code has brought controversy to these two paintings in the name of fiction, yet - art historians surmise that the original where Uriel points at John who is closest to Mary may have caused confusion about which infant was Jesus and the second painting by Da Vinci removed Uriel’s extended hand.

Surrealism, born in the 1920’s, was initiated by the Dada movement that emerged in Paris during War World I.  Inspired by visual art and writings, Surrealism was a cultural movement that merged schools of thought on philosophy, social theory and politics.  Salvador Dali was a flamboyant surrealist who made significant artistic contributions to the movement.

Self-Portrait with Fried Bacon Surrealism

An ode to Dali’s “soul’s glove”, not the soul or the inner self, this self-portrait portrays his face with ants and fried bacon.  It was created during Dali’s eight-year-exile in the U.S.  Dali left his home in Spain during the Spanish Civil War.  During this time he painted from the inside out, and it appeared that he reversed  his “paranoid-critical method.”  This painting symbolizes the Surrealist giving himself up as nourishment for the soul, providing in his own words the most “delicious delicacies.”

Geopolitical Child Watches Birth of New Human

Depicting a fiery earth, a new human is born and is emerging from a plastic egg while a child watches seeking the protection of its mother; the painting symbolizes the evolution of order, a new beginning and a perfect world.

Portrait of Picasso

Dali integrated all elements that depicted the origins of Picasso.  In this painting, the bust of Picasso is mounted on a  pedestal, symbolizing consecration.  A large rock sits on Picasso’s head to symbolize the responsibility and influence of his work.  Picasso’s face is depicted as a goat hoof and the headdress of the Greco-Iberian marble bust the Lady of Elche which pays tribute to Picasso’s birthplace.

Dream Caused Flight of a Bee

This painting depicts Dali’s wife, Gala unclothed and asleep.  With long and thin legs, an elephant walks across the a watery horizon carrying an obelisk.  Near Gala, two drops of water and a small pomegranate are supsended in the air.  Above a larger pomegranate, emerges a fish that spits out a tiger from which another tiger emerges.  Ahead of the second tiger, a rifle’s bayonet touches the women’s right arm.  It is a painting that shows the influence of Sigmund Freud’s theories on dreams and some believe is an interpretation of the Theory of Evolution.

Poetry of America Cosmic Athletes

Challenging man to think about the perils of war within the modern world, this painting symbolizes the new human with a golden man balancing an egg on his finger.  The juxtaposition of the commonplace and fantastic again emphasizes Dali’s paranoid-critical method, a subconscious association of those things that are unrelated in conscious existence.

Burning Giraffe Woman with Drawers

This painting signifies Dali’s internal struggles with his country during his exile from Spain amidst the Spanish Civil War.  Open drawers line the leg of a slender blue female form with outstretched arms, believed to represent the “open drawers” of man’s subconscious.

Temptation of Saint Anthony

A work from the latter period of his life, Dali claimed that he had converted to mysticism.  The Atomic era influenced his thinking and is manifested in this painting.  A depiction of a naked Antonius stands against a mounted horse with elongated legs that defy the law of gravity.  Saint Anthony attempts to steel himself against earthy temptations.  Floating elephants move towards the saint symbolizing lust and greed.

If your a fan of Dali’s or know one and are looking for something unusual, check out these Salvador Dali 3d Statues from the Parastone Mouseion Collection.  These handcrafted Salvador Dali figurines are extremely popular in Europe and now available in the US.  They really capture the essence of Dali’s work.  Really cool stuff.

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