Classical Greek and Roman mythology’s stories of gods, goddesses, heroes, and anti-heroes have been retold and used in the visual arts for centuries. Mythology’s influence was influential during the Renaissance and Baroque periods but can be found in artworks up to modern times.
Paintings with mythology as a theme – especially paintings created by famous artists – are often the most expensive art at auctions. For example, “The Italian government acquired the birth of Venus” by Sandro Botticelli for $500 million. Unfortunately, because most famous mythology paintings are housed in museums, they are not auctioned frequently.
In this article, we’ll briefly look at a few famous paintings with mythology as a theme. Each of them is worth millions.
The Birth of Venus by Sandro Botticelli
“The birth of Venus” was created by none other than the famous Sandro Botticelli between 1483 – 1485. This is one of many Greek Renaissance paintings. “The birth of Venus” is one of Botticelli’s most famous paintings. It is also probably the most famous Greek Goddess painting.
It depicts Venus rising from the sea. She looks like a classical statue which is floating on a seashell. While Venus is rising from the sea, Zephyrus, the God of Winds, is on her right. He has the gentle breeze Aura with him.
On the shore, Horae, Goddess of the Seasons, waits to receive Venus. Instead, Horae spreads out a robe covered with flowers for the Love Goddess. The Italian government bought this painting for $500 million.
Narcissus by Caravaggio
This artwork is one of only two known Caravaggio paintings with a Classical mythology theme. He created this artwork between 1597 and 1599, which is now worth millions of dollars.
According to the myth, a hunter from Thespiae in Boeotia named Narcissus was well-known for his beauty. One day when he was thirsty, he leaned over the water and saw his reflection without realizing he saw himself. He fell in love with the reflection in the water. When he realized the beautiful person in the water would never be able to get out, he died of his passion and turned into a gold and white flower.
The painting shows Narcissus dressed in an elegant doublet gazing upon his distorted reflection. The figure is surrounded by darkness, conveying the idea of brooding melancholy.
Oedipus and the Sphinx by Gustave Moreau
Another Greek mythology painting worth millions of dollars is Gustav Moreau’s oil on canvas painting “Oedipus and the Sphinx.” He created this masterpiece in 1864. Although realism and naturalism were prevalent in the mid-1800s, Moreau deliberately rejected realism and naturalism in the painting. Instead, he adopted an archaic painting style and used mythological subject matter in this work. Oedipus is depicted when he meets the Sphinx near Thebes.
According to the myth, Oedipus embarked on a journey between Thebes and Delphi. During the journey, he heard that the king of Thebes had been killed. And that the city was at the mercy of the Sphinx. To pass the Sphinx to rescue the city, Oedipus had to answer the Sphinx’s riddle. If he failed, he would die, and the Thebans would also die.
The riddle was, “What walks on four feet in the morning, two in the afternoon, and three at night?” Oedipus immediately answered: “Man: as an infant, he crawls on all fours; as an adult, he walks on two legs, and; in old age, he uses a walking stick.”
When the Sphinx realized Oedipus had the riddle solved, she killed herself by throwing herself into the sea. Oedipus then became the king of Thebes.
Leda and the Swan by Peter Paul Rubens
Rubens’ painting “Leda and the Swan” was created after he studied and copied some of Michelangelo’s versions of this Greek mythology theme. “Leda and the Swan” is another precious artwork worth a lot of money.
During the Renaissance and Baroque eras, women being seduced by divinities was a popular theme. In this mythology painting, Rubens depicted Leda fully nude. A swan, depicted as a graceful animal, caresses her, and its neck is cradled between her breasts.
According to Greek mythology, the god Zeus seduced Leda in the shape of a swan. Unfortunately, he seduced her the night she slept with her husband, the King of Sparta. As a result, Leda gave birth to Helen and Polydeuces as children of Zeus, while at the same time gave birth to Castor and Clytemnestra, children of her husband.
The Fall of Phaeton by Peter Paul Rubens
Another precious painting by Rubens with mythology as a theme! His “The Fall of Phaeton” depicts the mythical story of Phaeton, the son of Apollo, the Sun god.
According to the myth, Phaeton had begged his father to allow him to drive the Chariot of the Sun across the sky. When Apollo conceded, it became clear that Phaeton did not have the strength or experience to drive the chariot. The horses bolted so that the earth froze when the chariot was too far away and was scorched by the sun when the chariot was too near.
Zeus, the supreme god, unleashed a thunderbolt aimed at Phaeton to save the universe from destruction. Phaeton plunges to his death when horses tumble and the chariot falls apart. This painting depicts the thunderbolts hurled by Zeus and shows the horror on the faces of Phaeton and the horses.
Ariadne by Giorgio de Chirico
Paintings with Greek mythology as a theme are not limited to the Renaissance and Baroque periods. This painting by Giorgio de Chirico is an example of a painting with this theme created in the early 1900s. The painting depicts Ariadne where she lays sleeping in an empty public square.
According to Greek mythology, the Cretan princess, Ariadne, fell in love with Theseus. So he volunteered to kill the Minotaur. The Minotaur was a monster with a man’s body and a bull’s head. It was sent to Minos by the god Poseidon for sacrifice.
To help him, Ariadne provided him with a sword and a ball of thread. This was done so that he could retrace his way out of the labyrinth of the Minotaur. After he had killed the monster, she betrayed her father and her country and eloped with Theseus. But, Theseus abandoned her while she was sleeping on Naxos.
Conclusion
Paintings and other artworks with mythical characters and events as a theme have been created for centuries and will be providing subject ideas for future artists. Many paintings with this theme created by famous artists will always be on offer at relatively high prices.
