[edraket]

I am writing this big report for school on art history and cultural history up to the middle ages.

Right now I am trying to prove a point about how greek mythology has been an enormous influence on the symbol language used in art throughout the ages (up to contempory art)
As on example I have grapes being the symbol for luxuriousness and festivities Because they date back to the devotions of Dionysus (Bacchus)(Which were basically one big orgy..yay!)


But my mind is reaching is starting to slip and I can't really come up with anything else. Does anyone know another exaple of this? With an an artwork using the symbol? Wether or not it is scientifically sound doesn't matter as long as I can bullshit a short explanation. All you need to do is point it out actually and I will research it.
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[Awetopsy]

these are hotlinked from other sources... so I hope they display for you..

what about the Greek buildings pillars..




in our society they represent Upholding something... a foundation if you will ei. the supreme court... and justice etc..
that help any?

[Gort]

You might want to explore the cultural assimilation of Greek culture by the Romans and the Roman influence on Gothic/Romanesque architecture. There might be something there - just an idea.

Nevermind...might not be a good idea now that I think more about it.

You're task is a bit arduos, because the Middle Ages in Europe were typically dominated by Christian doctrine. Don't give up though; I think there's something there.
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[Hunago]

a few ideas;
chariot, apollo
lauriel, harps, muses.
winding serpents wand, medicine
hound, hunteress, artemis
bow, cubid,
constelletions, astrology

this site has a large list of the greek deities and heroes.
http://www.loggia.com/myth/content.html
I couldn't find much direct reference to symbolic objects though.

Also Bouguereau and Waterhouse's paintings may have some ideas for you to write about.

[paranoid?]

hmmm lets see...from what I can remember "Humanism" was a great influence in greek art...the representation of the human body (mostly man) was something really used back than....like "the cult of the human body" their fascination with it. And also the fact the gods in their mythology were andropomorph (human form).

Romans were influenced a LOT by greek culture....actualy it was like a trend to admire greek art and culture back in the roman empire. So in other words, we can say Roman copied Greek's culture...when you look at the architecture...art (sculpture mostly) and also their mythology, all the gods from the roman mythology look like copy of the greek ones.

hmm..the "humanism" was lost during middle age. Religion was predominant during these times, both in culture and art. Everything was linked to religion. Middle age was like a set back in culture/evolution....like a useless hole.

And the "Renaissance" periods were a come back to the greek humanism, but its a tough period to fully comprehend, because of the switch from contamporary and middle age were hard times....lots of revolutions with the Reform and all.

well anyway I hope this helps you out n_n
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[Giant Hamster]

Sorry that I don't have any reason to post in here, but I wanted to put that image up with the other pillared buildings and henges.

[paranoid?]

....it looks like a shitty Stone Hendge representation made with OB tampons Hamters O_o;;
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[Ragnarok]

Looks like football
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[egerie]

LOL Giant Hamster ! Your gf must be miffed now.

edraket - I beleive today's pharmacist symbol is from ancient Greece (2 snakes twirling around a baton). maybe
I might want to dig artrenewal.com for visual references. Hope that helps a bit
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[edraket]

Thanks guys..although I handed it in yesterday morning I will still reply though. because this is interesting...

Awetopsy. Yes the pillars..I had those. They do represent those things. Which is why you often see them in government buildings.

Tom Carter: Actually I had a small bit about that assimilation.
I also did a small essay of about seven pages about medieval esthetics. ( the scope of this report was pretty big) I was quite surprised that a lot of the classical themes did survive. The need for order, proportions based on geometric formulas etc. The knowledge to do things "right" was just completely gone except for maybe the intellectual elite. And it seems to have been destroyed mainly in early christianity when iconoclasm (the opposition of the image as a religious means) still had a lot of influence.


Hunago: Those are great and would have been of much help.
I did use Waterhouse and Bougereau. Actually just going to all the Victorian Classisists/romantics was very usefull. I also used a Tadema painting with a dedication for Dionysus.

Paranoid..yes..I covered that extensively.


Giant hamster. I might have been able tu use that as a form of feminist revenge art. An opposition to of the ubermale society of ancient greece and its echos in our current day sex-symbol driven commerce.

Egerie..The Pharmacist one..aargh thats a good one... I just couldn't think at that point anymore....

so again..thanks guys. Eventhough it was too late for me the effort was moving

[Periadam]

Hey, Hamster.. you just wasted about $7 worth of tampons there, you know. (uh, Canadian dollar anyway)
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Peri.

[Francis]

I guess you could call that a period piece.
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