Prometheus Bound

“David Slaying Goliath” by Peter Paul Rubens is an example of Renaissance art. This painting depicts a well-known Bible story of a young Israelite boy named David who kills the giant, Goliath, with a slingshot, and chops off his head with a sword. Rubens has chosen to illustrate this Bible story at the moment when David is about to hack off Goliath’s head with the giant’s sword. In addition, we see armor-clad soldiers rushing into battle in the background. In “David Slaying Goliath,” Peter Paul Rubens uses color, value, and line to illustrate the dynamism and energy within the painting that makes it look realistic. In addition, these elements contribute to the sense of excitement and anticipation of the event depicted.

Peter Paul Rubens was born in June 28, 1577, in Siegen, Westphalia. Rubens was known for his “Counter-Reformation altarpieces, portraits, landscapes, and history paintings of mythological and allegorical subjects.” During his time in Antwerp, Rubens incorporated the painting of Michelangelo into his work, mainly “Prometheus Bound” and “The Raising of the Cross”. Of the many mythological paintings, “Prometheus Bound” was one of his greatest work. Inspired by Michelangelo and Titan’s Tityus Ruben’s creates a masterpiece based on Prometheus, a titan who was chained to a rock and eaten alive by an eagle as punishment for stealing fire from the Olympians and giving to the humans.

To begin, the main figures in this piece are Europa, a mythological nymph, and Jupiter, the chief god who transformed himself into a white bull and kidnapped her. We know who the main figures are due to everyone looking at their direction and the number of details that make Europa and Jupiter stand out. Such details include the flower crown around the bull and the excess of fabric wrapping and flowing around Europa. As a viewer, it can be noted that this piece is composed of various flanking figures that range from notable sea deities to flying Cupids. Above Europa, we see a wind god blow air in her direction. Additionally, on the far right, a woman sits on a shell throne with a man wielding a trident whispering at her side. Overall, the figures refrain from assisting Europa on her kidnapping and prefer to remain on the sidelines.

     Prometheus, the Titan of Greek mythology, was considered to be the most important Titan ever in all the myths. He helped the human race tremendously in his efforts to sustain an easier lifestyle. Mankind had great respect for him because of his advantages and gifts or abilities he gave them. Also, his battle against Zeus as a result of his love for man was very much appreciated. Prometheus was one of the most interesting Greek mythology figures in his time. He was a very kind, loving, generous, and courteous god to mankind. This can be seen through many events in his life including a particular myth that the reader will acknowledge in this research paper.

Ruben’s painting is based on a religious theme. It shows the triumph of David over the Philistine giant Goliath. The moment capture by Ruben is after the fall of Goliath. The composition shows David in the act of severing the giant’s head. He has his right foot on the dead body of Goliath while his sword is raised behind his back, ready to fall on the neck of goliath.

Next, the god Prometheus was represented by or as fire and craftsmen. Prometheus created mankind out of clay and water also; he gave the valuable gift to man which would help him in life’s struggle. Therefore, Prometheus had many interesting myths, for example, when the god’s chose Prometheus as arbiter in a dispute, he fooled the gullible Zeus into picking the worst part of the sacrificial burying them under a rich layer of fat. Also, another myth was Prometheus being known as the Thief, more by hiding it in a hollow fennel-stalk; he gave the valuable gift to man which would help him in life’s struggle.

, who stole fire from Mount Olympus and gave it to mankind. Prometheus sided with Zeus and the ascending Olympian gods in the vast cosmological struggle against Cronus (Kronos) and the other Titans. Prometheus was therefore on the conquering side of the cataclysmic war of the Greek gods, the Titanomachy, where Zeus and the Olympian gods ultimately defeated Cronus and the other Titans.

This piece of art is an ink drawing by Johannes Stradanus. It is a visual depiction of our hero, Odysseus, standing before a line of shades who are waiting to speak with him. Odysseus had dug a pit with his sword and filled it with the blood of the sacrificed sheep. The shades are to drink from the blood before their meeting with Odysseus, being the main activity occurring in the drawing. The line is lead by Tiresias, and next to him kneels Anticlea, Odysseus’s mother, who is next in line to drink. The most significant figure in the drawing is Odysseus. He is portrayed as honourable due to his pose of pride, and noble clothing. He is the brightest and most detailed of all the figures. The artist wants the observer to focus on the main activity

Prometheus: Titan God of Forethought Greek Mythology is the legends and myths created by the Ancient Greeks. An important being in Greek legend is Prometheus. Prometheus, an infamous figure in Greek mythology, was an example of turmoil –always being in the wrong in someone else’s eyes. Although he is somewhat famous, his family is obscure. Prometheus has several legends to his name, some more famous than others.

Their were multiple different art works that caught my attention at the museum although through the semester it was the Roman chapter that captivated my attention the most hence forth I chose this artwork. Each piece of art present in the museum deserved their own acknowledgment respectively from the gold and marble jewelry present to the large sculptures rich in detail non stood out more to myself than The Indian Triumph of Dionysus.I found this piece of art to be appealing because there are many different people and beings within this piece of work that are well known in ancient Greek and Roman mythology. The entire piece is centered on Dionysus, yet everyone plays an important role in the overall story of the piece. Also, I found it very interesting that someone took a great interest in building a monumental sarcophagus for a man who was known for introducing wine.
As Dionysus and his followers journeyed to the East to introduce wine and culture they were sometimes

Prometheus was a symbol of rebellion against injustice because he cared about the weak and went against cruelty. Another example of Prometheus's rebellion against Zeus is how he saved the human race. When Zeus gets revenge on the human race, he created a huge flood that killed every human except for Prometheus's son and nephew. His son and nephew survived because Prometheus warned them about the flood and had them sent to the top of a mountain with supplies. Zeus did not get angry at this because he approved of the 2 humans remaining because they were loyal worshippers.

<br>At the bottom left side of the painting is a man about to be eaten by a termite who has a game table on his head. This is illustrating that the tables are turned on the man who has committed some terrible crime. In the Inferno this is represented by Lucifer eating the three worst sinners, Judas Iscariot, Brutus, and Cassius, all who betrayed their

The Kylix is an artistic depiction of these myths as Prometheus (right) and Atlas (left) are shown carrying out their punishments. The color of the vase itself allows its viewers a simple yet impactful depiction of the myth. It is made of ceramic that is painted black, the figures being the only decoration allotted on its tondo, or base. The artist used three colors to fill the background of the setting.The black is used as a stark contrast to white, making the details of the figures stand out. Red represents the blood and liver of Prometheus as he is eaten by the eagle. Although the vase itself isn’t grandly decorated, the titans are realistically depicted. It is hard to overlook the display of pain on Prometheus’s face as he tilts his mouth down and cries out with his eyes. In addition, Atlas displays his weariness by clutching his back and hanging his head

It is around 6 feet tall and 12 feet long which makes some of the more prominent figures around 5 feet tall. The mood created and the size are two very Baroque aspects that Rubens includes in order to make the viewer feel connected to the work of art more. Additionally, each figure tells their own story, but each of their individual stories adds to the overall theme. First, there is a woman figure on the far left who is a personified version of Europe. The woman is in despair, flailing her arms up, and has tears in her eyes. This represents the mood of all the European citizens throughout the Thirty Years War, and if a viewer looks at her they would feel connected on an emotional level. Next, there is Venus who is desperately trying to hold back her lover Mars from inevitably going to war. Venus is portrayed as a beautiful, nearly nude figure who is highlighted with lots of light. Rubens includes lots of diagonals to show movement in the image, and to show how the story being told is not over- another very Baroque characteristic. Another crucial figure is Mars, the God of War. Mars is headed off to war, being pulled by Fury

In 1655, Rembrandt van Rijn, a Dutch painter and printer, created a painting known as, “Titus at his desk.” On a 77x63 cm canvass, Rembrandt depicted a young boy who seems as if he was attempting to accomplish his studies, but in the end, he was lost in his thought. This oil painting in essence, is a great example of the artwork done in the Baroque era.