Delve into the enigmatic world of the Eleusinian Mysteries! This video explores the ancient Greek rituals, their connection to the cult of Demeter and Persephone, and the potential role of psychedelic substances like the “kykeon” in inducing altered states of consciousness. We’ll examine the archaeological evidence, historical accounts, and philosophical interpretations of these sacred rites, uncovering the mysteries surrounding death, rebirth, and the pursuit of esoteric knowledge in ancient Greece.
The Eleusinian Mysteries: A Journey into Altered States of Consciousness in Classical Greece
If you come to Eleusis you’ll never die.
What secrets did the ancient cult of Demeter hold that still captivates us today? Join me as I dive deep into the secrets of Demeter’s ancient cult and try to uncover the Eleusinian Mysteries!
The sanctuary of Eleusis is a town about 14 miles northwest of Athens today. This place was of vast importance to the spiritual life of ancient Greeks. Pagan culture was the origin of the pre-Christian faith in ancient Greece, as thousands of people attended the Eleusian Mysteries in the fall equinox. In their secret rituals, ancient people worshiped Demeter, the goddess of nature and agriculture, with her daughter, Persephone from 1500 BC until 392 AD. During the peak of the ceremonies, thousands of initiates would consume the kykeon drink, believed to be a mixture of wine, barley, and possibly hallucinogenic substances such as ergot ( LSD), leading to a sense of collective experience and unity among the followers of goddess Demeter. The communion with spirits was a secretive ceremony and transformative experience in relationship to death and rebirth. Aristotle said that people came to Eleusis not to learn something but to experience something. Today, the sanctuary is a small place of broken stones and columns with an adjacent museum showing some pottery, computer installations, and antiquities found during the excavations.
The temple of Eleusis & cult of Demeter, broken parts of the outer colonnade portico depicting the cult symbols of Demeter – rosette, corn, ritual vessel “kern”, and a dedicated inscription. Photo: Veronica Winters
The Eleusinian Mysteries: Historical Mysteries and the Search for Lost Knowledge
The pagan ritual of the sanctuary appeared in the Mycenaean Era (16th-13th BC) to end around the 4th century AD.
Triptolemos and Persephone, tondo of a red-figure Attic cup, ca. 470 BC–460 BC. Notice, that Triptolemos is riding a chariot with winged snakes. More on that below.
The Eleusinian Mysteries and the Cult of Demeter: A Study of Death, Rebirth, and the Afterlife in the Greek Myth of Demeter & Persephone
Lower part of a marble relief with two goddesses Demeter and Persephone, Roman, 1st–2nd century CE, Adaptation of the Great Eleusinian Relief of ca. 450–425 B.C. Pentelic marble relief found in Eleusis. The altarlike incense burner between them must be an addition of the Roman copyist. http://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/251527
Dressed in rich, tyrian purple clothes, Demeter, the goddess of the harvest, had a beautiful daughter named Persephone. One day, while picking flowers that made her unconscious, Persephone was abducted by Hades, the god of the underworld. Demeter, heartbroken and distraught, searched for her daughter in vain. As a punishment to Zeus who gave her daughter away to his brother, she neglected the earth, causing crops to wither and die. Zeus, the king of the gods, intervened and negotiated a compromise with Hades. Persephone ate the seeds of pomegranate and would spend six months of the year in the underworld with Hades and the other six months on Earth with her mother. This myth explains the cycle of seasons: when Persephone is with Demeter, the earth flourishes, representing spring and summer. When she is in the underworld, the earth becomes barren, symbolizing autumn and winter.
Marble relief of Triptolemos, Demeter and Persephone. Archaeological Museum of Eleusis, Greece. | Photo: Veronica Winters
The winged serpent or snake
The term “Ophis Pterotos” (Ὄφις Πτερωτός) literally translates to “Winged Serpent” in ancient Greek. In ancient Greek myths we can see some chariots run by the snakes (Medea in a chariot, Cleveland Museum of Art) or Triptolemos riding a winged snake chariot here.
Some scholars suggest that the Winged Serpent was more of a philosophical and mystical concept rather than a specific mythological beast. It embodied ideas of wisdom, transformation, and the ability to transcend physical limitations – much like the snake’s ability to shed its skin and seemingly be reborn. The winged snake represented divine wisdom, transformation, immortality and transcendence. It signified the connection between earthly and divine realms, which makes a lot of sense in terms of the Eleusian Mysteries.
The snake also associated with mystical and philosophical concepts, being depicted in the caduceus of Hermes (the herald’s wand with two intertwined snakes) and connected to concepts of healing and regeneration as Asclepius (the god of medicine) was often depicted with a snake. Influenced by ancient Greek culture, the Romans copied and adopted art, symbols and myths. In Roman times the snake symbol represented Immortality. We can view many golden bracelets in the shape of a snake in archeological museums.http://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/254270 : Attributed to the Niobid Painter, Terracotta hydria: kalpis (water jar), ca. 460-450 B.C., Terracotta, H. 10 15/16 in. (27.7 cm); diameter 8 7/8 in. (22.6 cm); width with handles 10 15/16 in. (27.8 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Rogers Fund, 1941 (41.162.98) The Niobid Painter is famous for depictions of mythological scenes on large pots. In this smaller pot, the artist depicts Triptolemos dispatched by the goddess Demeter, the patroness of fertility and agriculture, and her daughter, Persephone, to teach the cultivation of grain to humanity. Winged chariot is run by snakes.
The Eleusinian Mysteries: Historical Mysteries and the Search for Lost Knowledge:
While there are no direct sources about the secrets behind the Eleusian Mysteries, several writers mention the secrecy of rites, like the Homeric Hymn to Demeter. It’s a recording of Persephone’s abduction by Pluto and how Demeter searched for her daughter. A poem of about 500 verses, titled the Homeric Hymn to Demeter, was recorded around 600 BC. Sophocles, Herodotus, Aristophanes, and Plutarch, mention the Eleusinian Mysteries, often alluding to their transformative power and the sacred knowledge imparted to initiates. Philosophers like Plato and Aristotle also reference the Mysteries.
“Ancient Greeks had no holy books. Religion was taught through the act of worship. The essence of the Mysteries was individual initiation once in a lifetime. Those who chose to participate in the process were guaranteed happiness after death. The secretive nature of the mystery has resonated with metaphysical trends from Antiquity to the Renaissance and from Romanticism to the New Age movements.” – The Archaeological Museum of Elefsina
Ten marble fragments of the Great Eleusinian Relief, Roman copy of Greek original, 27 BCE–14 CE . The ten fragments have been set into a cast of the original relief. The original marble relief was unearthed at the site of the Eleusinian mysteries. There are several existing Roman copies of this relief. One of the copies is displayed in a dark interior space of the archeological museum in Eleusis.
Here the goddess of agriculture, Demeter, holds a scepter and stands on the left. She’s dressed in classical Greek clothing – peplos and himation (cloak). Her daughter, Persephone, is on the right of the relief. According to Greek myth, she is the wife of Hades, the god of the underworld. She wears a chiton and himation. Both goddesses reach out to a nude boy, Triptolemos who was a student of Demeter and the first man to learn the mystic rites, rituals, and grain production. https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/248899Triptolemos | http://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/254912 : Attributed to the Troilos Painter, Terracotta hydria (water jar), ca. 490 B.C., Terracotta, H. 14 1/16 in. (35.7 cm); diameter mouth 6 in. (15.3 cm); diameter foot 5 1/4 in. (13.3 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Fletcher Fund, 1956 (56.171.53)
Demeter was worshiped for roughly 2000 years celebrating life as over 60% of Greeks died from disease, violence, slavery, and hardship. Nearly half of the children died before the age of 5. Greeks asked Gods for good harvests to survive. Therefore, Triptolemos was the messenger of the goddess helping people grow grain. He was often shown as an adult riding a winged chariot on Athenian vases as you can see here.
The image of a Greek Sphinx is depicted on a funerary vase found in Eleusis. Sphinxes were the symbolic guardians of the underworld and vases contained bones of children who probably died because of famine in Eleusis. Eleusis Museum, Photo: Veronica Winters
The Archeology of the Eleusinian Mysteries: A Study of Sacred Space and Ritual
In Mycenaean Eleusis (16th-13th BC), grave offerings were made of precious metals that indicated the deceased’s status. These were bronze weapons and tools, or silver and gold jewelry. In contrast, in the Mycenaean world, schematic figurines with arms folded or raised (Ф – type or Ψ – type) are found in abundance. They are considered symbols of a protective female deity or as children’s toys.
Examples of the Mycenean era excavations
The Antiquarian Society of Dilettanti made the first scientific investigations of the Eleusinian Sanctuary during Ottoman rule. Sir William Gell and the architects John Peter Grandy and Francis Redford led an expedition to Eleusis in 1812 and found the remains of the Telestirion.
Leadership & support of the Sanctuary of Eleusis in ancient Greece: Athens’ leaders supported its relationship with the Eleusinian Sanctuary for economic and political reasons and used the prestige of the Eleusinian Mysteries in their diplomacy. During the Roman period, the Sanctuary emerged as a religious and political center of universal importance. The Roman emperors, who were initiated into the Eleusinian Mysteries, favored the Sanctuary greatly. For instance, during the reign of Hadrian, Antoninus the Pious, and Marcus Aurelius, the sanctuary experienced a wave of new construction with monumental architecture, including the Great Propylaia, triumphal arches, Temple of Propylaia Artemis, and paved entrance courtyard with the fountain.
The end: With the arrival of Christianity and the decree issuance of Emperor Theodosius I, in 392 AD, the worship of Goddess Demeter ceased to exist with a permanent closing of the sanctuary of Eleusis. The hordes of Alaric, in 395 AD, leveled it to the ground and killed the last Hierophant (priest) there.
The Eleusinian Mysteries: Did the Ancient Greeks Use Psychedelics to Achieve Transcendence in sacred ceremonies of the cult of goddess Demeter?
You died before you died and so didn’t die.
According to the museum, the beginning of the cult or worship emerged in the late geometric period. The oracle of Delphi ordered the Athenians to offer sacrifices to the goddess Demeter after a great famine spread throughout Greece in the 8th century BC. The sacrifice would appease the goddess to make the land fertile again. This oracle was given during the 5th Olympiad (760 BC).
Sacred ceremonies or the Eleusinian Mysteries were a multi-day, series of initiations into the cult of Demeter and Persephone that took place in absolute secrecy. It was the culminating experience of a lifetime. The first initiation began in Athens and then the procession continued in Eleusis through the Sacred Way as a journey. People of all classes participated in it including Emperors, free men, prostitutes, and slave men. ThisEleusinianRoad is an ancient road that began at the Sacred Gate of the Athenian wall and ended at the sanctuary in Eleusis. The religious procession to Eleusis used this road decorated with gardens, fruit trees, country shrines, altars, cemeteries, and funerary monuments set along the ancient path. They passed through a purposefully narrow bridge as a symbolic space between worlds of life and death.
Painted terracotta votive plaque, Attic work by a painter named Ninion, mid-4th century CE, discovered at the sanctuary of Eleusis. Image:wikimedia commons
The figures sit in two rows. At the top, Demeter is seated on the “secret cist”. Persephone stands holding a torch and the torchbearer Iakchos is located below, welcoming the procession of initiates, men and women, who arrive at the sanctuary. In the middle of the lower row, the omphalos adorned with a crown and two crossed bakchoi, symbols of the ritual mysteries. The third deity, at the bottom right, is not identified with certainty. The pediment depicts the participants of the pannychis, the night feast, where a flute player, on the left, accompanies them. All the participants are crowned and hold flowering branches and sticks, while the women have the kernos, the sacred vessel, fixed on their heads. National Archaeological Museum, Athens.
The Role of Sacred Plants in the Eleusinian Mysteries: A Psychedelic Perspective
The Eleusian Mysteries consisted of a pagan ritual with the body’s purification, procession to the Telesterion, consumption of kykeon, and profound revelations following afterward.
Painted terracotta votive plaque, Ninion, mid-4th century CE, discovered at the sanctuary of Eleusis. The women (priestesses?) have the kernos, the sacred vessel, fixed on their heads.
The use of psychoactive substances is a debatable subject because there is no direct archeological evidence of the use. However, the magic potion seems to be the hidden truth behind the secret rites. It’s based on the extensive research of several scholars including Carl Ruck, an American professor who researched entheogens’s role in mythology and religion and first shared his research in a book “The Road to Eleusis” in 1978. Some psychoactive plants are known for inducing altered states of consciousness, letting people experience a fundamental change in psychic to communicate with God.
“The Road to Eleusis” book discusses psychoactive entheogens and the original meaning of some ancient Greek myths and gods, especially Dionysus, the God of Wine. The authors narrate the hypothesis of a magic drink potion recipe that could have contained ash mixed with other ingredients. The drink had a secret formula but was fairly easy to make every year regardless of the harvest. There is a chapter in this book dedicated to a narration of a beautiful Hymn to Demeter, an anonymous poem from the 7th century BC. In this poem, we learn about Persephone picking flowers in the fields of Nisa before the abduction. The companion of the maiden was named Pharmacia with the name’s translation as ‘the use of drugs”. In the book, the authors think that Persephone had a drug-induced seizure during the abduction by Hades.
In his book, “The Immortality Key”, Brian Muraresku shares his research about sacred beverages consumed during the Eulesian mysteries. He studied ancient pots that revealed traces of hallucinogenic substances like ergot (LSD) in beer potions. Fragments of ergot were discovered in a temple and within the dental calculus of an individual, suggesting its consumption.
Kernos or kernoi (in plural) are ritual vessels, images are from the archeological site in Eleusis. The kernos is a terracotta vessel with many little bowls surrounding it. A concoction of herbs, wheat, olive oil, and other ingredients was inside it to taste. A lamp probably topped the vessel. The priestesses carried these ritual vessels atop their heads during the procession at the Eleusinian Mysteries as we can see in a plaque above.
Some scholars believe that a drink called kykeon, which was consumed by the initiates, contained psychoactive ingredients, which may have been made from barley or rye that was infected with ergot, a fungus that produces lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD). It was a carefully balanced brew of alcohol, herbs, spices, and ergot. Other possible ingredients include wild mushrooms or opium poppies. Only women prepared the drink, which gave the users transcendent experiences.
Kykeon: A drink consumed by initiates, thought to contain psychoactive ingredients. Ergot: A fungus that grows on grains, containing LSD-like alkaloids. Fragments of ergot have been found in a temple dedicated to the Eleusinian goddesses, providing evidence for its potential use. Psilocybin Mushrooms: Some scholars speculate that these mushrooms were used due to their hallucinogenic properties.
The descriptions of the Mysteries by ancient authors suggest that the initiates experienced visions and altered states of consciousness during the Eleusinian Mysteries. However, plant medicine was not limited to the Eleusinian Mysteries. Ancient Greeks used a variety of substances for medicinal, religious, and recreational purposes. While some drank a holy beer, others consumed the holy wine of Dionysus to become one with the god in ancient Greece. These substances included opium poppy, cannabis, and wine.
In the book The Road to Eleusis, the authors describe the original meaning of wine and the god Dyonasis and how different formulas for the dilution of wine with water had varied effects on people. The word “drunkenness” in Greek meant a state of complete Madness, and the authors think that the drinks contained psychotropic compounds mixed with water, herbs, and spices.
What is ergot?
Ergot is a fungal growth that primarily affects rye and other cereal grasses. Ergot appears as a dark, elongated, hard structure called a sclerotium that replaces the grain (kernel) of rye, wheat, barley, and other grasses. These sclerotia are:
Dark purple to black in color
Hard and dense
Elongated and curved, often described as “horn-like”
Typically about 1-2 centimeters long
Somewhat similar in shape to a narrow, blackened grain of the host plant
In the field, an infected grain head will look abnormal, with these dark, hardened ergot bodies replacing some or many of the normal grains. During harvest, these ergot bodies can be mixed in with the grain, making them a potential health hazard if not carefully removed.
The fungus (Claviceps purpurea) is particularly notorious because the ergot sclerotia contains powerful alkaloids that can be extremely toxic to humans and animals if consumed. Historically, ergot poisoning (called ergotism) caused serious health problems and even contributed to social upheavals in medieval Europe when contaminated rye bread caused widespread illness. Farmers and agricultural experts carefully monitor crops for signs of ergot, as its presence can render an entire grain harvest unusable and potentially dangerous.
A Window into the History of Mystery Religion, Mysticism and Ancient Spirituality in Ancient Greece: The Greek Magical Papyri
The Greek Magical Papyri is a collection of ancient spells and rituals that were probably combined with natural plants written down in the papyri to create ‘magic’ and let people enter the hidden world of altered reality. This was a literal “magician book”. Some herbs like wormwood (contained in the 19th-century French absinthe) and nightshade were probably mixed into incense or ink to inhale and make a potent spell using the book. It makes me think of fairy tales with Baba Yaga and powerful magicians stirring green liquids in their pots and cauldrons.
Discovered in Egypt, The Greek Magical Papyri are a collection of ancient texts, primarily written in Greek, that contain a variety of magical spells, incantations, and rituals. These papyri, dating from the 100s BCE to the 400s CE, offer a glimpse into the mystical and religious beliefs of the Greco-Roman world. The papyri include spells for love, wealth, health, protection, and harm. They also contain hymns for various deities, incantations for summoning spirits, and astral magic and theurgy rituals. The texts reflect a syncretistic blend of Greek, Egyptian, and other religious traditions. They incorporate elements from Greek mythology, Egyptian deities, and other magical systems. Many spells and rituals are intended for practical purposes, such as healing the sick, driving away evil spirits, or gaining wealth. Some texts describe theurgical practices, involving direct communication with divine beings through mystical experiences and rituals. Astrology plays a significant role in many magical practices, with the alignment of celestial bodies considered crucial for successful spells and rituals.
The Greek Magical Papyri list a wide variety of plants used in their spells and rituals. Here are some of the plants that are commonly mentioned:
Peony: Often used in love spells and potions. Lily: Associated with beauty, love, and fertility. Laurel: Symbolizing victory, purification, and prophetic power. Olive: Connected to peace, wisdom, and healing. Poppy: Associated with sleep, death, and dreams. Rue: Used for protection, purification, and healing. Thyme: Associated with courage, strength, and purification. Mint: Used for purification, healing, and love magic. Garlic: A powerful protective herb, often used to ward off evil spirits. Onion: Associated with fertility, protection, and healing. Fig: Symbolizing abundance, prosperity, and fertility. Pomegranate: Connected to fertility, rebirth, and the underworld.
Toxic and sometimes fatal, Mandrake was used as an anesthetic, and pain reliever that treated insomnia and other ailments. Due to its human-like root shape, the mandrake was often associated with fertility, love, and protection. It was used in love potions, fertility charms, and protective amulets.
Wormwood, or Artemisia absinthium was used to enhance the spells. Due to its bitter taste and strong aroma, wormwood was often associated with protection and purification. It was used in spells and rituals to ward off evil spirits, induce visions, and enhance psychic abilities. It was burned as incense to purify spaces and connect with the divine.
Toxic Henbane was used to relieve pain, induce sleep, and calm anxiety. It was also employed in the treatment of mental disorders. Henbane was considered a powerful hallucinogenic and was used in divination and spiritual practices. It was also used in potions and spells for love, protection, and harm.
Nightshade plants, particularly Atropa belladonna (deadly nightshade) were deadly if misused. Yet, The plant’s alkaloids were applied to alleviate pain, particularly during childbirth and surgery. It could also induce sleep and calm anxiety. The plant’s psychoactive properties were exploited in various rituals and spiritual practices. The plant’s potent alkaloids can cause a range of symptoms, including hallucinations, delirium, and even death.
Ancient Greeks used opium to alleviate suffering from various ailments, like a lack of sleep, to calm anxiety, and to treat diarrhea. Opium was likely used in religious ceremonies, particularly those associated with the Eleusinian Mysteries, where it may have been ingested to induce altered states of consciousness, to facilitate prophetic dreams and visions.
The Greek Magical Papyri & its spells
It’s filled with a variety of spells, each designed for a specific purpose. Some examples include:
Love Spells:
Love Charm for Immediate Effect: This spell involves writing holy names with the blood of a black donkey on a seashell and reciting a formula to attract a specific person.
Eternal Love Spell: This spell, invoking the god Iabo, uses magical words and symbols to secure the eternal love of a woman.
Protection Spells:
Protection Against Enemies: This spell involves writing a specific formula on a piece of papyrus and wearing it as an amulet.
Protection from Evil Spirits: This spell involves burning incense and reciting specific incantations to ward off evil spirits.
Divination Spells:
Dream Incubation: This spell involves specific rituals and prayers to induce prophetic dreams.
Scrying: This spell involves gazing into a reflective surface, such as water or a mirror, to receive visions and messages from the divine.
Healing Spells:
Healing Wounds: This spell involves applying a specific ointment to the wound and reciting a healing incantation.
Curing Illness: This spell involves specific rituals and the use of herbs and amulets to cure various illnesses.
The benefits of psychedelics
Today, psychedelics have a negative connotation because they fall under the general umbrella of ‘drug use’ and are considered to be hallucinogens. However, different ancient cultures have used various plant medicines for centuries to heal the soul, elevate fears of death, and provide a transformative experience that lasts a lifetime. While plant medicine is not for schizophrenic minds, it’s far from being a mere hallucination. Rather, it’s a powerful, non-addictive substance that can cure your soul by traveling deep inside yourself into a parallel reality where you learn who you truly are.
The Architecture of the Eleusinian Mysteries: A Study of Sacred Space and Ritual
Most of the following descriptions come from the grounds & museum at the archeological site of Eleusis. I fixed the text for better English.
The Telesterion of Eleusis: Exploring the Architectural Features of a Sacred Initiation Site
The most significant structure within the Sanctuary was the Telesterion, a large, underground hall where the initiates would gather for the final and most sacred part of the ritual. The Telesterion or the “Hall of Initiation” was designed to accommodate thousands of people, with its Doric columns, mosaic floors, and a central aisle leading to the Anaktoron, the holy chamber for sacred objects’ safekeeping. This large, underground hall gathered people to perform the most sacred rites.
The oldest excavated remains date to the Mycenaean period (1600-1100 BC) and belong to a rectangular megaroid building known as the “Megaron B.” It had two columns along the central axis and a portico with stairs on its façade. What we see today are the leftovers from the construction in the 5th century BC.
Plan of Eleusis with the Telesterion in the center. By Zde – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=55707754
In the early 6th century BC, the Solonian Telesterion with a rectangular main temple appeared in the same location. Because of the continuous growth of the reputation and worshippers at the Sanctuary in the late 6th -century BC, a new building emerged at the same location. The location was always sacred to worshippers because it had been indicated by the goddess Demeter in the ancient myth. This large and richly decorated building had the name of the Telesterion of Peisistratus. It retained its features in later Greco-Roman construction periods. The architectural remains visible today relate to the Telesterion of the classical period (5th century BC), the Portico of Philo (4th century BC), and the Roman modifications (2nd century AD).
Designed by the Eleusinian architect Philo, the Portico of Philo was attached to the east façade. Built on a strong foundation, its floor was paved with Eleusinian limestone. Created in the doric order style, the building consisted of twelve columns on the façade and two on the narrow sides, of which only parts of the lower drums are preserved. In 170 AD, the Costoboci invaders burnt down the Telesterion. During the years of emperor Marcus Aurelius (161-180 AD), classical-style Telesterion was reconstructed with some extension. During the Roman period, two stairs were cut in the rock that led to an elongated square of the Upper Court, 70m long and 11,45m wide.
Visible architectural remains mainly relate to the Telesterion of the classical period (5th century BC), which the architect of the Parthenon, Ictinos planned. Due to construction difficulties and Pericles’ death, his plan was not executed to a great extent and the construction study was assigned to three architects, Coroibos, Metagenes, and Xenocles.
The classical Telesterion looked like a square hall with Doric columns. Its sides measured about 51,50m. A colonnaded porch on the East side had 12 doric columns and 8 rows of rock steps. Artificially constructed stone blocks were arranged along four sides of the hall to seat the initiates who attended the sacred enactments. 42 columns supported the building’s roof. Lighter columns were superimposed over them to reach the ceiling. The center of the roof had a raised lightwell to illuminate the interior space of the building.
View of the Sanctuary of Demeter with the Telesterion’s shape from Google EarthView of the Telesterion from the museum’s site
The Anactoron (The House of God), a small, rectangular space dedicated to the safekeeping of sacred cult objects was located in the hall’s center. Only the highest priest, the so-called Hierophant could enter this space to reveal the holy objects to the initiates during the night of the Eleusian Mysteries. The Hierophant’s throne was situated outside the entrance to the Anactoron. The worshippers also gathered in the Sacred Court that extended along the Telesterion’s three sides. It had altars and numerous dedications to participate in the sacred rites.
The initiates observed the law of silence throughout antiquity, which forbade them from revealing what happened in the Telesterion. Testimonies of the secretive performances are vague but reveal reenactments, drama, and mystical indoctrination. The main initiation occurred in the Telesterion on the 6 & 7th days of the mysterious nights. Only those initiated the previous year could become supervisors (epoptes). The 8th day was dedicated to libations with liquid offerings in ritual vessels for the underworld gods and the dead. The return was on the 9th day. The initiates would return home, scattered into smaller groups.
Funerary Proto-Attic Amphora with a depiction of the blinding of the cyclops Polyphemus by Odysseus and his companions, 670-660 BCE Eleusis, Veronica Winters art blog
The Roman Court of Eleusis
The spacious, square court stood in front of the main entrance of the Eleusian sanctuary. Paved with large marble rectangular slabs, it was 65m long by 40m wide. The Sacred Way ended at the court area. The preserved foundations of a semicircular building formed the Exedra from where the dignitaries of the Sanctuary attended the arrival of the worshippers. The Roman court was bordered by a portico, a fountain, and a triumphal arch on its East side. The second triumphal arch stood on the West side. An L-shaped portico bordered the rest of the west side of the court. High-quality materials and construction of the Roman court indicate general oversight of the Roman Emperor Hadrian (117-138 AD). The construction program continued under Antoninus Pius (138-161 AD) and was completed under Marcus Aurelius (161-180 AD).
The wall of Lycurgus is a wall associated with the Athenian logographer Lycurgus, who is said to have worked to improve the security and splendor of Athens. However, the construction of the Eleusis enclosurewall predates Lycurgus’s time and was built in the 4th century BC. Located farther away from the temple of Demeter, this new, 2.55-meter thick, defense wall was built with the so-called isodomic building masonry system imitating the earlier Periclean wall. It consisted of two-colored stones greyish-blue Eleusinian limestone and yellow-red blocks. It had two towers, a round one and a square tower, protecting the main entrance to the sanctuary from the sea.
The Little Propylaea of Eleusis
Propylaea is the name given to monumental gates or entranceways to a temple or religious complex. It acts as a symbolic partition between the secular and spiritual parts of a city.
19th-century drawing of propylaea in Athens. Image in public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=156815
The main entrance to the Sanctuary of Eleusis consisted of a monumental gateway that was rebuilt over the earlier version of the North Gate. When the Greater Propylaea was constructed as the main entrance, the Gateway became the Lesser Propylaea or the inner entrance to the Sanctuary. According to a Latin inscription on its architrave, a Roman consul Appius Claudius Pulcher dedicated it to the goddesses Demeter and Persephone in 54 BC.
The edifice consisted of two colonnades of porticoes. They were separated by a transverse wall with a double door that opened into the inner portico. Two other preserved, parallel furrows probably enabled rainwater drainage. The outer portico had an interesting layout. The pediment, door pilasters, and two columns formed the gate. The Corinthian columns and pilasters had elaborate decorations of winged animals- lions, and bulls. The cult symbols of Demeter, like wheat rosettes and flowers decorated spaces between the columns and the pediment.
The inner portico had a flat coffered ceiling, supported by two monumental, pentelic Caryatids. One is on display in the Archaeological Museum of Eleusis. At the same time, the other one was stolen by the English traveler Edward Clark and transported to Cambridge in 1812, where it still stands today. Both statues depict Maidens who carry the mystic cist on their heads. It’s the cylindrical container with the sacred, cult objects they had in a ritual. They were also decorated with carved reliefs -symbols of the cult of Demeter. More on it below.
The Architecture of the Eleusinian Mysteries: the Caryatid
Caryatid’s face, Eleusis
Who is Caryatid?
Caryatid is a sculpted female figure used as an architectural support, taking the place of a column or pillar to hold up an entablature. The term “caryatid” comes from the Greek word “Karyatis,” which refers to the women of the ancient town of Caryae. The most famous example of caryatids can be found on the south porch of the Erechtheion on the Acropolis in Athens, created during the Classical Greek period around 421-417 BCE.
Caryatids found on the south porch of the Erechtheion on the Acropolis in Athens
The Mythology of Caryatid
The mythology behind these figures is somewhat disputed. One interpretation is that they represent the women of Caryae, a town that sided with the Persians during the Persian Wars. As punishment, the women were forced into slavery and forced to carry heavy burdens. The caryatids, then, would symbolize this punishment, bearing the weight of the building’s entablature.
However, another interpretation suggests that the caryatids represent priestesses of Artemis Caryatis, the goddess associated with the walnut tree. This interpretation is supported by the presence of a sanctuary of Artemis Caryatis in the town of Caryae.
In Roman times, the two colossal Caryatids adorned the Little Propylaia decoration. The Caryatid was about three times the size of a man. She carried a cylindrical box on her head, a “cyst,” decorated with ears of corn, rosettes, and ritual vessels named “kerns.” For the villagers of Elefsina, she was the “saint Demeter who protected their land and gave them a good harvest.”
Views of one Caryatid left in Eleusis
The theft of the Caryatid of Eleusis
Eleusis continued its existence after a formal, forced closure of its grounds by the Byzantine emperors. A Frankish tower that existed until 1953 illustrates the passage of Franks through Eleusis. The Venetians also went through Eleusis as they wanted to take a large statue of Koris but left it in place there. This statue appears in the plans of the British George Wheler, who visited the Sanctuary of Demeter in 1676 to describe the desolated space. In 1801, another British traveler, ED Clarke comes to Eleusis and decides to take the statue of the Maiden with him. ED Clarke loaded one of them on his ship that sank off the coast of England. The statue was recovered and placed in the Public Library in the Fitzwilliam Museum of Cambridge in 1803.
Sphinxes Decorations on Tombs in Eleusis | Veronica Winters Art Blog
How Colorful Clothes Exhibited Fashion, Status, & Symbolism in Ancient Greece
Because of the secrecy of the ceremony, it’s difficult to say what the ancient Greeks wore exactly during the rites. However, it’s reasonable to think that clothing also had some spiritual significance in the Eleusinian Mysteries, as the initiates probably wore ceremonial, colored robes with patterns, jewelry, and wreaths, as we see in this terracotta plaque found in Eleusis. The garments look a lot more decorative and refined than Greek usual outerwear. Leaf tiaras and crowns top the heads of both men and women.
Other statues exhibited in the museum:
The Eleusinian sculptures in the Archeological Museum show classical Greek costumes -himation (off-one shoulder and draped around cloak) and chiton (toga-like dress).
Statue of Antinoos, (on the left) 2nd C. AD. Antinoos was a beautiful youth and probably a lover of the emperor Hadrian (117-138 AD). He drowned in the Nile barely reaching adulthood, and Hadrian deified him, flooding the empire with statues, portraits, and even temples dedicated to the handsome youth.
Statue of Asclepius, (center) 320 BC. The Healer God or the god of health and medicine. It was found north of the Sanctuary of Demeter and Kore, where there was presumably a shrine of the god.
Clothing as a symbol of status in ancient Greece:
Attributed to the Nikon Painter, Terracotta lekythos (oil flask), ca. 460? -450 B.C., Terracotta, H. 15 in. (38.1 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Leon Pomerance, 1953 (53.224)
In general, though, ancient Greeks wore four layers or types of clothing depending on their sex and event. The Peplos, Chiton, Himation, and the Chlamys. They didn’t wear trousers or underwear. You can see a well-written summary with illustrations and vases here, at the Art Institute of Chicago, and here, at the Met.
The Charioteer, closeup of a bronze sculpture of a young man, Classical period, 478 BC, 1,82m in height, Delphi.
I think ancient Greek clothing was beautiful, elegant, and functional, considering they probably exercised in short chitons at the gymnasium. Sculptures of men dressed in the chitons remind me of the Doric columns from the temples of ancient Greece. Dress code and fabric colors reflected social and economic status, and this book reconstructs the social meanings attached to the dressed body in ancient Greece: Body, Dress, and Identity in Ancient Greece, by Mireille M. Lee.
Here are some of the most common garments in ancient Greece:
Statue of a goddess, probably Aphrodite, 4th century BCE, Athens. She is dressed in peplos and himation.
For Women:
Peplos: A rectangular piece of cloth, one-size-fits-all, draped over the body, fastened with brooches at the shoulders. It was often worn by married women and was associated with modesty and respectability. The fabric was wool. It was replaced by the chiton later on.
Chiton: A garment similar to a tunic, often worn underneath the peplos. It could be sleeveless or have short sleeves, belted. The fabric was fine linen but it was often made of silk for women. At first, only men wore it long but eventually, this style became popular among women, while men shortened their chitons. By the 4th century BC, the ‘luxury’ chitons became elaborate with patterns and decorations.
Himation: A large rectangular cloak that could be draped around the body and off-one shoulder worn over the chiton. Made of wool, it was often used for warmth or as a symbol of status.
Daochos monument with Agias, Delphi illustrates ancient Greek styles of clothing
For Men:
Chiton: Similar to the women’s chiton, but often shorter and more fitted. It could be worn alone or under a himation.
Himation: A large rectangular cloak, made of wool, similar to the one worn by women. It could be draped diagonally off a shoulder and wrapped around the body. Men wore it over the chiton or nude body.
Chlamys: A shorter, more rectangular cloak reserved for men only. It was often worn by young men, especially soldiers because it helped them in battles. It was typically fastened with a brooch at the shoulder. In late antiquity, the chlamys changed their length, material, and status. Made of silk and precious stones decorations, chlamys belonged to the dress code of emperors and high-ranking officials.
Attic cup: Oedipus and the Sphinx
Oedipus and the Sphinx, interior of an Attic red-figured kylix (cup or drinking vessel), c. 470 BCE; in the Gregorian Etruscan Museum, the Vatican Museums, Rome.
Fabric dyes & symbolism of color:
As you can see ancient Greeks used several types of fabric, mainly linen, wool, and silk. When we look at the images on the vases and sculptures, we think of white fabric that can represent purity. However, ancient Greeks often dyed their fabric in vibrant hues like purple, red, blue, and yellow that were costly and represented status.
Common dyes were:
Madder Root: This plant produces a vibrant red dye, often associated with passion, vitality, and courage.
Woad: This plant yielded a blue dye, symbolizing wisdom, spirituality, and the divine.
Saffron: A luxurious and expensive yellow dye, often associated with royalty, wealth, and happiness.
Kermes: This insect produced a deep red dye, similar to madder, and was also linked to passion and vitality.
Tyrian Purple: A rare and costly purple-red dye extracted from a type of sea snail, this color was reserved for the elite and symbolized wealth, power, and imperial authority.
Symbolism of Color in Ancient Greece:
White: Often associated with purity, innocence, and mourning.
Black: Symbolized death, mourning, and the underworld.
Red: Connected to passion, vitality, and courage.
Blue: Associated with wisdom, spirituality, and the divine.
Purple: Symbolized royalty, wealth, and power.
Yellow: Linked to happiness, joy, and the sun.
In conclusion:
The Eleusian Mysteries was the most significant pagan ritual of Ancient Greece. Every year, thousands of individuals participated in these secret ceremonies, in honor of Demeter and Persephone, the Greek goddesses of fertility and agriculture. We may never know the exact rituals that involved initiation, processions, and purification ceremonies to honor the cycles of life and death and to experience unity with God. We may never learn the exact formula for a magic drink of ancient Greeks. One thing is clear, what looks like a bunch of broken stones today was an important center of shamanic worship for ancient Greeks to learn about themselves by connecting to a higher power in a once-in-a-lifetime event. By feeling unity with the divine through a shared psychedelic drink, ancient Greeks had a pathway to see beyond reality, be the one with the community, and live a meaningful life.
Please share your thoughts on the mysteries of Demeter and check out my other videos on ancient Greece. nika@veronicasart.com
Before the birth of Jesus, the Ancient Greeks found salvation in their own sacraments. Sacred beverages were routinely consumed as part of the so-called Ancient Mysteries – elaborate rites that led initiates to the brink of death. The best and brightest from Athens and Rome flocked to the spiritual capital of Eleusis, where a holy beer unleashed heavenly visions for two thousand years. Others drank the holy wine of Dionysus to become one with the god. In the 1970s, renegade scholars claimed this beer and wine – the original sacraments of Western civilization – were spiked with mind-altering drugs. In recent years, vindication for the disgraced theory has been quietly mounting in the laboratory. The constantly advancing fields of archaeobotany and archaeochemistry have hinted at the enduring use of hallucinogenic drinks in antiquity. And with a single dose of psilocybin, the psychopharmacologists at Johns Hopkins and NYU are now turning self-proclaimed atheists into instant believers. But the smoking gun remains elusive. If these sacraments survived for thousands of years in our remote prehistory, from the Stone Age to the Ancient Greeks, did they also survive into the age of Jesus? Was the Eucharist of the earliest Christians, in fact, a psychedelic Eucharist? The Immortality Key reconstructs the suppressed history of women consecrating a forbidden, drugged Eucharist that was later banned by the Church Fathers. Women were then targeted as witches during the Inquisition when Europe’s sacred pharmacology largely disappeared.
the road to Eleusis unveiling the secret of the mysteries:
the Eleusinian Mysteries were a series of secret rituals and initiations in honor of the goddesses Demeter and Persephone for almost 2000 years. The book’s first release in 1978 showed the work of three researchers—a mycologist, chemist, and historian—who revealed the sacred potion use during the rites. Infused with a psychoactive entheogen, the drink reframed modern understanding of the rites and religion in general. The authors share insights on experiential religious practices, perspectives on the healing potential of psychedelics, and how—and why—the secrets of the Mysteries were deliberately concealed. This 30th-anniversary edition has a renewed exploration of the chemical findings by Peter Webster turning our knowledge of the past and religious history upside down.
Should I visit Knossos? That’s the question I asked myself planning my trip to Greece. The Palace of Minos in Knossos is located on the outskirts of town Heraklion on the island of Crete. Here, you’ll find some historic information about the palace of Minos and its culture. While Knossos is the center of the Minoan culture that gives us valuable insight into the habits of ancient civilization, I must say that this place might not be very interesting to see for a seasoned traveler. Parts of the palace have been reconstructed to give you a better idea what it looked like, and the museum has many artifacts that were found by the archeologist Sir Evans at the ancient site.
I think the most amazing thing about Knossos is its unusual architectural design and application. Unlike other palaces in the history of humanity where royalty separated itself to live and govern in modern luxury, the Palace of Minos held many administrative, religious, entertaining and ceremonial functions inside it. The Palace appeared to have been the center of political, economic and religious authority. It also housed various people and trades in it, including artisans and merchants. The labyrinth-like structure of the palace birthed one of Greek myths about Theseus, prince of Athens who slayed the Minotaur. The Minotaur was a half-bull, half-man who lived imprisoned in a labyrinth build by King Minos, father of Ariadne. Ariadne fell in love with Theseus. It's believed that Daedalus was the architect of the labyrinth and the palace. He advised Ariadne to give a tread to Theseus to find his way back from the labyrinth. King Aegeus was Theseus’s father (hence, the Aegean sea name) who threw himself off of the cliff by a mistake. He thought that Theseus was dead because of a black sail that wasn't replaced to the white one and thus killed the king.
To get to the Palace of Minos, we used a public bus and bought a ticket in a local market shop. Greeks speak English well and can help you navigate the purchase of tickets and other things. People working at the hotels also speak English well and could be a resource for you to navigate around the island. The majority of the following information comes from the wall descriptions in the museum and archeological center of the palace of Knossos.
Video on YouTube:
Brief history of the Minoan culture on Crete, Heraklion
The archeologist, Sir Arthur Evans, did the majority of excavations in Knossos in the early 20th century. He named this ancient culture “Minoan” in accordance with ancient Greek myths that referenced King Minos ruling in the area.
Prehistoric Crete (7000 – 1100 BC): the Minoan World
Crete has always been both a bridge and a melting pot of cultural expression, innovation and knowledge. Situated at the crossroads of the sea routes linking three continents, Asia, Africa and Europe, the Minoan world was preceded by a lengthy development, starting from the birth of Neolithic communities around 7000 BC, to the establishment of complex social structures during the course of the 3rd millennium BC.
During the Bronze Age, Cretan culture had experienced constant enrichment and renewal through interactive communication with other Aegean civilizations, Egypt and the East. This interaction created favorable conditions for the emergence of the first great urban-palatial civilization in Europe. The Minoan civilization got its name after Minos, the semi-divine king of Knossos. The ruling elites and classes rose to wealth and power through control of production and trade.
By 2000 BCE, complex urban centers like Knossos and Phaistos emerged, boasting multi-story palaces. These were large cities with a palace center. The palace became the center of authority and residence of the Court officials, and it functioned as the seat of a complex administrative bureaucracy, including gathering and processing of goods. Social structures and relationships got consolidated through secular and religious palace rituals. Minoans thrived on maritime trade throughout the Aegean and beyond, establishing themselves as a powerful trading force. Their vibrant art, depicting nature, rituals, and bull-leaping ceremonies, adorns palace walls in vivid frescoes.
Art of the Minoan Civilization:
The Knossos Bull, 1600-1450 BC. This is the bull’s head made of stone. A masterpiece of the Minoan art, it features an inlay of white seashell, rock crystal and red jasper. Carved with great precision, the bull is a vessel used for libations at the palace.
All forms of art developed and reached its peak on the island: large wall paintings, miniatures, seal-carving, jewelry-making, goldsmithing, metalwork, stone-carving and vase-painting. Increased demand for luxury and status items, which were also exported off Crete, led to the development of massive import of raw materials, such as gold, ivory, silver, copper and semiprecious stones. Minoan seafarers dominated the Aegean Sea and the East Mediterranean trading raw materials and precious art. Colonies, ports and stations of Minoan character throughout the Aegean became bases for trade overseas, while Minoan painters decorated palaces in Egypt and the East. Echoes of Cretan sea power were preserved in ancient myths of the Minoan thalassocracy.
The Minoan Ring of Minos, Knossos, 1450-1400 BC. The Ring of Minos is a masterpiece of Minoan jewelry-making that gives a good overview of the religious iconography of the Minoans. The image summarizes 3 levels of epiphany. The goddess is depicted in a miniature form floating in the air. She is also seated on a platform topped with horns of consecration. She also rows in a boat decorated with a prow depicting a seahorse. Both male and a female tree cult surround the goddess.
The goddess passes through 3 natural elements, air, land and sea, which becomes a symbolic unification of the mortal world. The ring’s story depicts Minoan rule and power over land and sea.
Decline of the Minoan civilizationaround 1450 BC:
Natural disasters that shocked the Minoan World, such as the earthquake and the cataclysmic eruption of the Thera volcano, did not cause its decline. The Minoan civilization collapsed circa 1450 BC, probably due to some internal causes. Main Minoan centers and palaces got destroyed with the exception of Knossos. As the Minoan influence waned, the mainland Mycenaean Greeks gained prominence. Mycenaean culture absorbed some Minoan elements, forming a hybrid civilization that lasted until around 1100 BCE. New dynasties got established first at Knossos (1450-1300 BC) and then in Kydonia at Chania (1300-1250 BC). They controlled a complex bureaucracy using Mycenaean script, the first form of Greek writing. The gradual arrival of tribes from central Greece, especially from the 13th century BC onwards, led to the permanent incorporation of Crete in the cultural and political structures of the Greek world at the turn of the 2nd to the 1 millennium BC. Much about Minoan society remains a mystery, including their language (Linear A remains undeciphered). Their social structure, religious beliefs, and the reasons for their decline continue to spark debate and research.
Minoan Achievements:
Innovative engineering with advanced water management systems and multi-story buildings.
Developed writing systems, including Linear A and Linear B, used for administrative purposes.
Skilled artisans crafted exquisite pottery, jewelry, and other objects. Rise of large, decorative sculpture for palaces and buildings.
Discovered and produced expensive purple dye to color the clothes and fabric for the wealthy.
Minoan Bee pendant, 1800-1700 BC, Malia, Crete. This is a work of art because it combines repousse, granulated filigree design and incised decoration.
The emergence of palatial societies & palaces on Crete
Elaborate building complexes, known as the “First” or “Old” Palaces, were established at the center of large towns, which emerged in the beginning of the 2nd millennium BC. Parts of these early complexes, buried under new palaces built atop, have been identified and partially excavated at Knossos, Phaistos, Malia and Petras. They include dining areas, large assembly and ceremonial halls, storerooms and a central court.
Gold-sheathed luxury weapons, scepters of authority, and precious jewelry also functioned symbolically, stressing the social status power and prestige of the palatial elite.
Writing was adopted to record goods, and complex sealing methods were developed, to ensure conformity of commercial transactions with the guarantee of the palatial administration.
Society was structured hierarchically with different skills and activities. Figures weaving on looms, potters and hunters are depicted on seals, while images of sailing ships reveal the presence of mariners. Some ancient figurines, ornate offering vessels and the remains of animal sacrifices show that the cult culture existed in palatial and domestic contexts. The “Old” Palaces were destroyed by fire circa 1700 BC.
Vases and decorations of the palace & houses of Knossos
The vessels of the Knossian workshop, 1500 BC, Crete
In the times of greatest prosperity, Minoan ceramic art reached its peak. The found objects of exceptional quality were produced in specialized workshops for the use of the ruling and prosperous urban class in the palace and town of Knossos. Stone lamps and vessels with elaborate relief decoration, bronze vessels, and vases with raised pictorial compositions or inlaid and covered in fine gold leaf, served practical and ceremonial purpose. The dark-on-light decoration dominated local pottery.
This is the pottery of the so-called “Special Palatial Tradition“, produced by palatial Workshops, mainly at Knossos. These elegant vases are decorated with geometrical and stylized motifs, and with nature and sea-inspired subjects named the “Floral Style” and the “Marine Style”. Exquisite vases were created by gifted artists such as “Reed Painter”, “Olive Spray Painter”, “Marine Style Master” and “Octopus inter”, whose works have also been found beyond Knossos on Crete.
Wine & Symposia at the Palace of Phaistos
Polychrome Kamares Ware vessels were used in palace banquets that attest to the opulent lifestyle of the palatial ruling class through their quality, quantity and astounding decorative variety.
Beautiful vessels found in the Phaistos palace are excellent examples of the so-called Kamares ware, a colorful decorative style that’s common for the palatial ceramic production during the First Palaces period. Decorations on these vases show similarities in painted motifs, like the chequerboard, spirals, and rocks. The vases were probably the products of one workshop that could have been made as a custom ‘dinner set’ for banquets and ceremonies of the ruling class at the Phaistos palace.
The wine vessels of the Phaistos palace, Minoan, Crete, 1800-1700 BC.
Among the vessels we can see a large crater standing on a high foot that could have been the vessel for mixing and drinking wine in large quantities. The offering of wine to a deity and group consumption of wine at banquets seems to be central to secular and religious rituals in the communities of prehistoric Crete. We can imagine the euphoria that prevailed at such banquets. This feeling could have been exacerbated by the visual stimulus of the decorations on these vessels. Painted spirals had a vivid, swirling movement with color intensity of polychromies used on vessels of the Kamares ware.
In this particular case, the luxurious ‘dinner set’ of the Phaistos palace rivals the vessels used in Knossos for similar symposium ceremonies at that time period. We might discern a demonstration of power of the palace’s ruling class through these luxurious vessels. It could have been an attempt at cohesion of local communities through these opulent banquets. This was an era of competition between palaces that would lead to the emergence of Knossos as the first power on the island during the next period of New Palaces.
The Minoans of Crete were pioneers in the production of the famous purple dye known today as Tyrian purple.
The Minoans obtained the dye from murex sea snails, similar to the Phoenicians who later became famous for it. Archaeological evidence suggests Minoan production dates back to the Middle Minoan period (2000-1600 BCE), predating the Phoenicians by centuries. Discoveries of large quantities of crushed murex shells at sites like Chryssi Island in eastern Crete point to dedicated dye production facilities. The Minoan purple dye likely possessed the same rich, deep color and remarkable lightfastness (resistance to fading) that made Tyrian purple so valuable. The extraction process was laborious, involving the collection and processing of vast numbers of sea snails. The resulting dye was incredibly expensive due to the difficulty of production. Minoan purple likely colored textiles and other luxury items, signifying wealth and status. It’s interesting to note that while the Phoenicians later became synonymous with this purple dye, the Minoans may have been the true innovators behind this remarkable ancient technology.
The Palace of Minos in Knossos
The following information comes from the descriptions found inside the museum. I reworked it for better reading experience.
The Palace of Knossos is the largest palace on the island of Crete. The palace is surrounded by an extensive city. The Palace was built on the low Kephala hill at the confluence of two streams. This location determined the subsequent growth of the settlement because of its proximity to the sea and rich soil of the region. The extensive settlement appeared during the Neolithic period (6700-3200 В.С.).
The First Palace was built around 1900 B.C. (Old Palace Period). It appears that the basic floor plan appeared at that time based on few, preserved parts today. This first palace got destroyed around 1700 B.C. and the New Palace was built in its place (New Palace Period). With the exception of some later additions, Arthur Evans uncovered and restored its ruins.
The New Palace consisted of different buildings surrounding the Central Court. There were multiple entrances, including the formal southwest and north ones. The West Wing includes shrines, official halls and extensive storage areas, and the East Wing, the “Royal Apartments” and workshops. There were storage rooms and other areas to the north and south.
Architecture:
The Palace displays a great variety of architectural features. Multi-storied buildings had flat roofs on different levels. They had the indented or protruding facades. The embellishments included stone horns and multi-colored surfaces. The Minoans used a variety of materials, like green schist’ slabs on the floor, wooden columns, and gypsum slabs on walls and construction elsewhere. Polychrome plaster and wall paintings contributed to room decorations.
Minoan architects broke new ground in both planning and construction techniques of their buildings. They developed the palaces and buildings with palatial features and the Palace in Knossos became the epitome of Minoan architecture.
An emblematic Minoan innovation is the “polythyron hall” with pier-and-door partitions and light wells offering various combinations of circulation, lighting and ventilation. Another pioneering invention is the addition of wooden columns to the façades, forming colonnades and balconies looking onto the great courts. The crowning achievement of the design is the ‘Grand Staircase of Knossos,’ with its 2 flights of stairs supported by columns on each floor. A dense grid of timber frames ensured the construction stability.
The Minoans used raised stone and painted plaster elements of doorways and floors, in particular gypsum (alabaster) on the floors and ashlar masonry on the façades. Its architectural complexity, maze-like interior, shifts of light and shade, gave rise to the myth of the Minoan Labyrinth. Besides the palace itself, elements of palatial and urban architecture are depicted in wall paintings, clay models and the plaques of the “Town Mosaic.”
The Palace appears to have been the center of political, economic and religious authority. Main archeologist, Sir Arthur Evans, attempted to interpret the function of the spaces in the Palace and gave them names that reflected their use according to his opinion. This was based on the finds, mythology, and analogies with ancient civilizations during his time. These names are still the same, like the “Queen’s Megaron” [hall], “Piano Nobile” [upper floor], “Throne Room”, etc. Although a continued research has put forward different views on the function of some areas.
The Palace of Knossos continued its use after the 1450 B.C. even when the rest of the Cretan palaces were already destroyed. Most experts believe that new inhabitants came from the Mycenaean Greek mainland and settled in the Palace, thanks to the discovery of the Mycenean archive of Linear B script. It remains unclear when the Palace ceased to function. The significance of its former glory got lost after the 1380 B.C.
The North Lustral Basin
This room resembles a cistern. Reached by steps, its floor is lower than the surrounding area. Many columns surrounded the “Lustral Basin” and were lined with slabs of gypsum, giving it luxurious appearance. The area in its present form has been reconstructed by Evans.
Other parts of the Palace of Knossos have similar rooms. Moreover, other palaces and Minoan buildings of this period (1700-1450 B.C.) have the same structure. The use of such cistern-like areas is unknown. However, based on their construction, the rooms were not filled with water and had no drainage system. Evans thought that they were used in purification ceremonies and thus called the “Lustral Basins”. Evans also believed that the Palace was a sacred place. In his opinion, the “Lustral Basin” in question was used to purify visitors going into the Palace via the neighboring North Entrance.
West Magazines
By looking down, you can see the beginning of the corridor that joins 18 long and narrow storerooms, covering an area of 1300 sq. m. (Fig.1). There were found 93 rectangular cists, “Kassellas” on the floor of storerooms and corridor. They seemed to be used for safe-keeping of precious equipment and vases.
The excavations also found large cists in the corridor that probably held the liquids. Εικ. Fig. 1. The pithoi (large storage jars) (Fig.2) of the “West Magazines” bear witness to the wealth of the Palace. The remains of about 150 pithoi were found, although there is room for about 400. The contents stored inside are unknown, although they could have been oil, wine, etc.
The archeologists also found clay tablets in this area. These clay tablets have writing in the Linear B script with records of local economy. They also discovered a large number of older clay seal impressions and clay tablets written in the Cretan Hieroglyphic script located at the north end of the corridor.
The West Porch
The West porch or the Corridor of the Procession was an open area with a roof facing the court. It was supported by one column, from which part of a gypsum base exists today. The east wall was decorated with a fresco depicting a leaping bull. A small guard room was adjacent to the porch in the back. The porch was closed off by a double door from where the long Corridor of the Procession began. It got its name from a wall fresco there depicting a procession of musicians and other people with gifts. A well-made floor continued to the central Court.
The West Court
Built of some massive gypsum blocks, the West Facade of the Palace rises up on one side that may have been used in ceremonies. The found settlements below this area belong to the Neolithic (6700-3200BC) and Pre-Palatial periods (3000 BC).
The Great Staircase
The great staircase and the upper floor to which it leads is largely Evans’ creation. Evans thought that it had a function similar to the first floor of the Italian Renaissance Palazzo, which was called the “Piano Nobile”. In this instance, he thought that the reception rooms of the Palace would be on the upper floor.
Evans also thought that there was the “Tri-Columnar Shrine” with a Treasury inside the Palace. The basis for his view lies in findings of collapsed ritual stone vases on the ground floor and the column and pillar bases. The rectangular building standing next to the stairs was built much later after the destruction of the Palace. Evans interpreted it as a “Greek Temple.”
The Figure-of-Eight Shields fresco
The figure of 8 shields frescoes, palace in Knossos.
The fresco with “Figure-of-Eight Shields” repeated in a stylized row, decorated the walls of the loggia of the “Grand Staircase,” leading to the official quarters of the palace. The fresco depicts the actual shields suspended on walls. They were made of either a wooden or metallic framework covered with ox-hide, represented by the dappled surface. The shields may have represented the military power of the Knossos palace’ ruler. Knossos, Palace, Final Palatial period (1450-1350/1300 BC).
The Ladies in Blue fresco
The “Ladies in Blue” is a partial composition depicting wealthy women in dresses and lavish jewelry set against blue background. Their coiffure adornment was restored based on a similar fresco fragment. Despite its fragmentary condition, the wall painting gives a sense of opulence and prosperity of the royal court with ladies and their hand gestures, displaying the richness of their jewelry. Knossos, Palace, Neo palatial period (1600-1450 BC).
The Griffins fresco
The Griffins fresco, Knossos, Heraklion, Crete, photo: Veronica Winters.
The Griffins fresco done in high-relief and tethered to columns decorated the “Great East Hall” of the palace of Knossos. The decoration of the hall also included religious emblems and representations in relief of boxing and bull-leaping games. According to Arthur Evans, this hall, located next to the “Grand Staircase”, was used for official ceremonies by the palace rulers. Knossos, Palace, Neo palatial period (1600-1450 BC).
Prince of the Lilies fresco
The prince of the lilies fresco inside the museum, Knossos.
The “Prince of the Lilies” is a high-relief fresco of a large mural. It’s emblematic image of Minoan Crete. The life-size figure is composed of three non-joining parts. He wears a richly colored kilt with a codpiece and belt. He wears a crown made of papyrus-lilies and peacock feathers. According to the excavator of Knossos, Arthur Evans, this figure was the “Ruler of Knossos”, the “Priest-King” and a personification of religious and secular authority. However, other scholars suggest different reconstructions and interpretations, according to which the “Prince” may be an athlete, a boxer, or a commanding ruler, while the crown is attributed to a priestess or a sphinx. Knossos, Palace, Neo palatial period (1600-1450 BC).
South Entrance, Corridor with the “Prince of the Lilies” fresco
The south part of the Palace has significant erosion. We can only see the foundations of the tiered levels. A tower-like projection is the only remaining part of the south entrance to the Palace. An ascending corridor led to the Central Court. The reconstructed corridor is the closest to the Central Court in the Palace. Evans put a copy of a relief wall painting here, of which only a few fragments were found (Fig. 1). The fragments showed a male figure wearing lily-shaped jewelry. The reconstruction you see here is unresolved. In Evans’s opinion, the picture represented the ‘Priest-King’. Other scholars think that it is either a prince or a female figure.
Mural/fresco with the lilies, Knossos. It’s part of a large mural composition that decorated the first floor of the Amnisos mansion in Knossos. This fresco is typical of the Minoan culture where the artists scraped a concave shape for stems and flowers to fill it with white paint.
Wall paintings of the Throne Room
There are 2 parts of the fragmentary wall painting that decorated the “Throne Room” at Knossos. The first one depicts a couchant griffin and the second one a palm tree, the forelimbs of another griffin, and the altars. These paintings were placed next to the throne on the wall opposite the entrance of the room. These fragments enable the reconstruction of the entire scene, full of symbolic connotations related to the religious and ceremonial use of the room. The real alabaster throne is integrated in a riverside landscape. Stylized reeds are painted on the walls. Palm trees, symbolizing the regenerative powers of nature, spring from the base of the throne. The griffins flanking the throne have no wings, thus interpreted as the permanent guardians of the authority symbolized by the throne itself. Knossos, Palace, Final Palatial period (1450-1350/1300 BC).
The Knossos palace likely wasn’t intentionally built as a maze in the sense of a trap with a single, hidden exit.
It does have complex design. The palace at Knossos had multiple stories, winding corridors, and numerous rooms. This strange layout could be easily mistaken for a maze, especially after centuries of partial collapse and reconstruction. Archaeologists have uncovered over 1300 rooms! The legend of the Minotaur’s labyrinth likely originated after the palace’s fall. The myth provided an explanation for the palace’s confusing layout. King Minos, according to the myth, had the brilliant craftsman Daedalus build a labyrinth to house the Minotaur. The excavated structures show a purposeful design for a grand palace complex, not a purposely confusing maze. The palace housed royalty, administrative functions, various people, artisans, merchants, priesthood, and workshops. While complex, it likely needed to be navigable for daily life as a complex administrative center.
Administration & Economy: Linear B texts
Linear B script
The 3,400 clay tablets inscribed in Linear B script from the palace of Knossos form part of the archives maintained by the new dynasty, which established itself at the palace following the destruction of most Minoan political centers in 1450 BC. In contrast to the preceding Linear A texts, which recorded the unknown language of the Minoans, the tablets written in syllabic Linear B script, date back to 1425-1300 BC. They are the earliest known texts written in Greek. They are temporary lists of accounts and recordings of goods, military equipment palace officials, dependents, and ritual offerings. They were incised into wet clay by 100 different scribes. Linear B texts got preserved by accident as they got baked in the fire that destroyed the palace.
The signs of Linear B script are derived from the Linear A script. Linear B has 89 syllabograms corresponding phonetically to syllables. They also include logograms, which were used as abbreviations of the commodities recorded, together with numerical symbols indicating quantities and units of weight and capacity. Long and thin “palm-leaf” tablets were used for individual registrations, while the rectangular “page” tablets were used for details and summary entries. Brief inscriptions are also found on sealings, i.e. lumps of clay stamped with seal imprints and used to label goods. Minoans labeled clay stirrup jars for transportation and storage of liquids, like olive oil and wine.
The Phaistos Disc found on the island of CreteSeals found in the area of Knossos palace, Crete, 1650-1350 BC.Stone palettes to grind colors, the palace at Knossos
The Minoan Religion & the World of the Dead
The snake goddess, Palace of Knossos, 1650-1550 BC. These are the most important cult objects from the Knossos Temple Repositories. The name comes from the snakes hand-held by the figures. These snakes symbolize the chthonic character of the goddess cult and the feline creature on her head suggests her dominion over the wildlife. Both goddesses wear expensive dresses. Large, nude chest symbolizes the female fertility or the goddess of nature.
The Hagia Triada Sarcophagus
Hagia Triada Sarcophagus closeups showing depicted art on the long sides of it.
The Limestone sarcophagus depicts ritual ceremonies in honor of the dead and transcendental scenes associated with the afterlife beliefs. The scenes are frescoes painted on plaster. You can see a depiction of a dead man on one long side of the sarcophagus. He wears a long tunic, standing in front of a building that could be a tomb. He is receiving offerings of a boat and animals. On the left, priestesses hold a lyre are pour libations into a bucket set between the columns with double axes. Birds sit on the axes, symbolizing the deity’ presence. Another long side depicts a bull’s sacrifice. The animal, trussed to a table, is being sacrificed to the accompaniment of a double flute and offerings made by a priestess at an altar. The altar is situated in front of a sanctuary crowned with horns of consecration. There is a pole with a double axe set between the sanctuary and the tree. The bird tops a double axe, indicating the epiphany of the deity. The two narrow sides have depictions of goddesses riding in chariots with griffins and horses or wild goats, and a procession of men. The sarcophagus was found in a rectangular built tomb and belonged to a ruler who, as the images narrate, was splendidly honored after his death by the palatial priesthood and the gods, on earth and in heavens. Hagia Triada, 1370-1300 BC.
The Larnakes
Clay larnakes imitate the wooden coffins. There are two types of the coffins. The first one is in the shape of a wooden chest with a gabled lid. The second one resembles a bathtub. The deceased were placed in a fetal position, perhaps signifying the symbolic return to the beginning of life in the womb.
Their iconography is, in a way, a continuation of the great fresco art that adorned the walls of the palaces. For example, the sarcophagus of Agia Triada was decorated in the same art style and technique as the frescoes. A complete narrative sequence, covering the ritual of the cult of the dead and Minoan perceptions and beliefs regarding the afterlife is depicted on its sides. Iconographic themes are mostly inspired by the plant, animal and marine worlds. They were rendered schematically without a narrative’ cohesion.
The obvious decorative aim of the motifs conceals a clear symbolic significance. These themes, isolated or in compositions, depict an abstracted version of the Minoan paradise. Marine creatures symbolize the sea across which lie the isles of the blessed dead and the Elysian Fields, according to the Homeric tradition. This otherworld of peace and eternal spring is indicated by trees, plants, birds and animals painted in dense juxtaposition on the larnax sides. The chariot and ship depicted on two larnakes show available transportation for a long journey over land and sea. Occasionally divine figures appear, the guardians of paradise, in attitudes of prayer or about to be enthroned, an image conveying the idea of the last judgement. These loose compositions, rich in meaning, are the final contribution of the folk painters of the Post palatial period to the pictorial art of prehistoric Crete.
The Warrior Graves and Graves with Bronzes, (1450-1300 BC)
Certain tombs, mainly in Knossos area, the sites of Zafer Papoura, Isopata Sellopoulo and the Venizeleio, contained a multitude of bronze weapons including swords, spearheads, daggers and halberds, as well as helmets. The most striking weapons include the swords with gold-covered hilts, gold nails and ivory pommels, intended as luxury and display objects.
They are insignia of the rank and status of an aristocratic warrior class which invested ideologically in the acquisition and use of weapons. The “Tomb of the Tripod Hearth” at Knossos, the Tholos Tomb A and the adjacent grave enclosure at Phourni, Archanes, andat Kalyvia Phaistos produced large assemblages of bronze banqueting vessels, such as cauldrons, jugs, bowls, washbowls, ladles and lamps. These items also functioned as markers of prosperity and social superiority. So did other grave offerings of gold jewelry, semiprecious stones, seals, bronze mirrors and implements, ivory objects and fine vessels.
Karphi goddesses with raised arms, 1200-1100 BC.
Five figurines with upraised arms, the goddesses, were found in the Post palatial settlement at Karphi. They have attached bird symbols and horns of consecration on their heads. The excavated artifacts also included a stylized, clay three-wheeled chariot rhyton with a charioteer and attached bulls’ heads, a clay tablet topped with a human head, and other cult objects and vessels of the period. They are clay tube, kalathoi, an openwork pot stand and a human-shaped rhyton. They were excavated from different parts of the settlement, indicating that the cult activities took place throughout the site.
Sacred symbols of a local cult
Small shrines in houses and peripheral administrative complexes served the needs of both a family and community. Open-air cult existed at some sanctuaries and in caves. Worshippers presented the deity with praying human figurines. Expertly crafted offerings for worship made of precious materials, such as bronze figurines, gold, silver and bronze artefacts, seals, jewelry, tables and stone vases- all became the ostentatious display of a person’s wealth. Such offerings are found in cult assemblages placed alongside numerous human and animal clay figurines. The realistic modelling of the bodies and the elaborate hairstyles of some male and female figurines highlight timeless social standards of men’s athletic bodies and women’s neat and elegant appearance. Three-dimensional clay models represent figures and images of official religious ideology, centered on the Epiphany of the Goddess, which arose in the palatial environment.
The Minoans used the religious symbols in depictions of religious significance or to mark the sanctity of spaces and buildings, in which they performed the cult acts. The emblematic symbol of the Minoan religion, the double axe, is probably derived from the real axe used to slay the sacrificial bull. Horns of consecration were also a sacred symbol, perhaps a schematic representation of the horns of the bull, the sacred cult animal. The sacral knot was made of cloth and served as a symbol of protection. The biconcave altar, a symbol of sanctity, was based on a real altar. The figure-of-eight shield may be an apotropaic symbol to ward off the evil.
Double Axes: Double-sided schist molds used for casting cult figures and symbols. These include the female figures with upraised arms holding double axes and flowers, double axes with indented edges, horns of consecration and a disc with astral symbols. The toothed wheel with a cross encircled by dots has been suggested to have been a device for predicting eclipses. Palaikastro, 1370-1200 BC.
There are two different examples of unusual cult sites and sanctuaries presented at the Sanctuary at Anemospilia, Archanes, and the Arkalochori Cave.
The Arkalochori Cave
A large assemblage of metal objects, used for religious rites and as votive offerings, was found in a small cave at Arkalochori in central Crete. The assemblage includes copper “bun” ingots, numerous bronze model swords and daggers, large bronze votive double axes, and a wealth of miniature double axes in gold, silver and bronze, and pieces of gold foil. However, there were no cult objects found at this cave like the figurines and offering tables commonly found at contemporary shrines.
It’s hard to explain the reason for placing these objects in such a small cave. They may had been a hoard of valuable metal objects hidden from the imminent danger. A large number of model weapons, long swords and daggers, may have been votive offerings made by a prominent group of warriors. They could have invested in the ideological value of the weapon as a symbol of status or authority (1700-1450 BC).
Sculpture
Lintel of Prinias temple, closeup of a goddess with panthers, 7th century BC, Daedalic art. The lintel decorated the main entrance to the Temple Aat Prinias. The goddess is the earliest surviving example of the seated figure style.
Greek art of the archaic period (7th-6th century BC) is marked by the development of monumental sculpture, namely the creation of life-size and over life-size statues in stone. Crete occupies a prominent position in the history of Daedalic sculpture of the 7th century BC named after Daedalus, the legendary craftsman and sculptor. The early date and the quality of the Cretan statues is the evidence of birth of Greek monumental sculpture on the island.
Following geometric period’s conventions for rendering the human features of the face and body, the archaic sculpture imprints human figures frontally. Such statues, especially the female ones, come from Astritsi, Eleftherna, Gortyna and other areas. Most Cretan statues were life-size made of local Cretan limestone. The island of Crete pioneers the development of architectural sculpture mostly used in the embellishment of temples and public buildings with statues and carved in relief representations. This decoration type can be seen in the temples of Prinias (possibly ancient Rizenia) and Gortyna.
At the end of the 6th cent. BC, the gravestones done in relief appear on the island of Crete. These gravestones marked the tombs of the dead, which were modeled after the Attic prototypes. Later on, the production in Crete decreases for political and social reasons.
Classical sculpture of the 5th and 4th cent. BC is represented by relatively few works of art (relief plaques and gravestones) showing Attic and Cycladic artistic influences. Rich artistic tradition of the island, however, has significant impact on ancient Greek art. Famous statues and architecture of the Hellenic world are attributed to two Cretan sculptors – Dipoinos and Skyllis, who were pupils of Daedalus.
The Statue of the Egyptian deity, Knossos. A standing male figure is decorated in a beautiful dress with stars with a snake whirling around him. He holds two scepters with a lotus and pallet. The deity figure combines the attributes of the Egyptian gods, Osiris, Sarapis and Imchotep. Roman period, 1-2 century AD.Statues with gods Pluto and Persephone, Knossos.
Group of statues with gods Pluto and Persephone, depicted as the Egyptian deities Sarapis and Isis, were worshiped in the Hellenistic period onwards in Greece. Pluto-Sarapis has the modius on his head, a utensil used for the measurement of grain. Persephone-Isis bears her symbols in the forehead, mainly the crescent moon, the solar disk and the snake (uraeus). She is depicted holding the sistrum in her right hand, an Egyptian musical instrument also known to Crete from pre-history. Her left hand holds the straps of the dog, Cerberus. The inclusion of Cerberus, the guardian of the underworld, into this group defines the two deities as gods of the underworld. The composition is a typical example of syncretism, the integration of beliefs from different religions during Hellenistic and Roman times. Gortyna, Temple of Egyptian Deities, Roman period, mid. 2nd cent. AD.Apollo with kitharafrom a marble table support, 125-150 AD, Knossos
Athletes & Acrobats: Bull-Leaping
An important aspect of Minoan public life were organized spectacles at which trained athletes engaged in contests of strength, endurance, and skill. There were several very popular but dangerous contests: bull-leaping, bull-hunting, and boar-hunting. Minoans also had wrestling, boxing, foot racing, chariot racing, somersaulting and other sport games.
The most spectacular Minoan acrobatic sport was bull-leaping. Young but trained athletes made a dangerous leap over the horns and back of a charging bull. Athletes of both sexes participated in this sport as recorded in the color of their skin, dark for men and white for women. The bull-leaping extravaganza is depicted in a series of wall paintings, gold rings and seals characteristic of the Minoan culture on Crete. The contests would have been held in large, outdoor spaces or even in the courts of the palaces. The Minoans cultivated the spirit of competition and excellence in sports that was later adopted by the ancient Greeks in the Olympic Games. Large crowds of excited spectators watched the games in Minoan Crete.
The Bull-Leaping Fresco
A bull-leaping fresco’s scene gives a vivid depiction of the sport. There are three participants, two white-skinned women and a brown-skinned man. One of the female athletes is restraining the bull by the horns to reduce its speed and prevent the leaper from a backward somersault. The second female athlete, standing behind the bull, is waiting with stretched arms to catch the leaper as he lands. The fresco was found on the east side of the palace of Knossos, with fragments of others depicting different stages of the same sport. Knossos-palace, 1600-1400 BC.
Beautiful places to see in Heraklion
The Morosini Fountain at Lions Square was built in 1628. The 16th-century Bembo Fountain in Kornaros Square, central city of Crete
The location of the Venetian Fortress is beautiful to look at turquoise water and city’s harbor.
The city’s center has a few significant buildings and a church. In addition, the Agios Minas Cathedral is a must-see.
The Agios Minas Cathedral
The Agios Minas Cathedral, Crete.
Built in late 19th century, this beautiful church is dedicated to Saint Menas, the martyr who lived around 285-309 A.D. The patron saint of Heraklion, he is depicted on a silver icon inside the church. The interior space is inspirational for anyone to see! It features colorful, byzantine-style murals and incredible chandeliers decorated with saints, double eagle and peacock designs. The stained-glass windows cast beautiful light on the walls and floor.
In conclusion, I hope I got you interested in visiting Heraklion, Greece to discover Knossos, the place and palace of the Minoan civilization on your own terms. As a reminder, the majority of this information comes from the museums on Crete. Visit the Heraklion Archaeological Museum for more information & tickets.
Greek art styles
Greek art is generally divided into four major periods:
Geometric Period (900 – 700 BCE):
Emerging from the Greek Dark Ages, Geometric art is characterized by its focus on geometric patterns and stylized figures.
Pottery decoration is prominent, featuring abstract motifs like meanders, triangles, and swastikas.
Human and animal figures are depicted in a simplified, geometric manner.
Archaic Period (700 – 480 BCE):
This period witnessed a shift towards more naturalistic depictions.
Sculptors began carving figures in the nude, adhering to a rigid and idealized form known as the Archaic smile.
Pottery decoration continued to evolve, with the introduction of the black-figure technique where figures are painted in black silhouette against a red background.
Classical Period (480 – 323 BCE):
Considered the pinnacle of Greek art, the Classical period emphasized balance, proportion, and realism.
Human figures were depicted in more natural poses with a focus on ideal beauty and perfect anatomy.
The red-figure technique dominated pottery decoration, with Greek mythological and narrative scenes.
Famous Classical sculptors like Phidias and Polyclitus developed dominant styles portraying gods and heroes in idealized way.
Hellenistic Period (323 – 31 BCE):
Following the conquests of Alexander the Great, Hellenistic art embraced a wider range of emotions and expressions.
Sculptures became more dynamic and dramatic, capturing movement and individual personalities, rather than idealized faces.
Art from this period often reflected a more theatrical and emotional style.
Genre scenes depicting everyday life gained popularity alongside mythological themes.
Metz is a beautiful city nestled in the Lorraine region of France. Situated near the border between France and Germany, Metz has been a contested territory for centuries. Its strategic location has made it a target for invasion and a prize for conquest. Today, you can have an easy, 90-minute train ride from Paris to Metz.
Its location near the German border has made it a melting pot for various influences- Roman, Germanic, and French cultures, creating a stunning cityscape that blends several architectural styles, from Romanesque and Gothic to Renaissance and Baroque. This diversity is evident in its churches, public buildings, and residential architecture. The city is renowned for its vivid stained glass windows, particularly those found in the Saint-Étienne Cathedral. These windows depict religious scenes, historical events, and local legends, and even include some modern stained glass windows made by Chagall. Metz is home to several free museums, including the Centre Pompidou-Metz, which showcases contemporary art. Despite being an urban center, Metz is surrounded by beautiful nature, including the Moselle River and its vineyards. This combination of city and nature makes it a unique destination worth your visit. You won’t see large Paris crowds, rather experience the beauty of architecture at your own pace.
Watch a short video showing the architectural beauty of Metz, France!
First settlements:
Celts were the first known inhabitants of the region, and they likely established a settlement on the site of Metz. Later, the Romans conquered the area and founded a city called Divodurum Mediomatricorum. So, Metz became a Roman city in the 1st century CE, adopting Latin culture and architecture. The city flourished under Roman rule, with significant infrastructure development and the construction of public buildings. In the art museum, you can view some Roman mosaics, sculpture and sarcophagus of this period.
The Middle Ages:
In the early Middle Ages, Metz was an important religious center, with several bishops and archbishops hailing from the city. During the Middle Ages, Metz prospered as it became a free imperial city, independent of both the French and German kingdoms. This autonomy allowed the city to develop its own culture and economy. The most famous examples of the middle ages are Saint-Étienne Cathedral, Eglise Saint-Eucaire and Temple Neuf. Saint-Étienne Cathedral (12th-14th centuries) is truly inspiring both inside and outside. Dark and somber, it’s a masterpiece of Gothic architecture. It features soaring arches, absolutely beautiful gigantic rose window “Tree of Jesse,” depicting the genealogy of Jesus Christ. and many other vivid stained glass windows that cast colorful light onto chairs and floor of the cathedral. Temple Neuf (12th century) is a Romanesque church with a modest exterior but richly decorated interior. Inside this church, you may find a crypt, which dates back to the 10th century.
Eglise Saint-Eucaire
This church founded in the 5th century was originally located outside the city walls, on the Roman road to Mainz. It is dedicated to Saint Eucaire, the first bishop of Trier in the 3rd century. Rebuilt between the 12th and 15th centuries, it encompasses a range of architectural styles from Romanesque art to Flamboyant Gothic. A sturdily built square bell tower, the oldest in Metz, stands at its center. It dates from the second half of the 12th century.Details of the exterior space of the Saint-Étienne Cathedral, MetzThe Rose Window at the Saint-Étienne Cathedral, Metz.
The cathedral’s foundation was laid in the early 12th century, likely around 1138. The initial structure was built in the Romanesque style, characterized by its rounded arches, thick walls, and heavy ornamentation. In the late 13th century, construction on the cathedral resumed in the Gothic style. This architectural style emerged in northern France and was characterized by its pointed arches, flying buttresses, and large stained glass windows. The Choir (1270-1310): The first major phase of Gothic construction was the choir, completed between 1270 and 1310. The Transept (1310-1330): The transept is the arms of the cathedral that extend from the nave. Its large stained glass windows, including the famous “Tree of Jesse,” depict biblical scenes and religious symbolism. The Nave (1330-1430): The nave is the main body of the cathedral. Construction took place over a century. The nave’s imposing height and light-filled interior create a sense of awe. The West Front (14th century): The cathedral’s west front features three large portals decorated with sculptures and carvings. The Towers (15th century): The two towers that flank the west front were added in the 15th century. They were originally designed to be much taller but were never completed.Stained Glass Windows by Chagall, Metz
The Renaissance & Baroque:
The Renaissance and Baroque periods brought new artistic styles and influences to Metz. The city’s wealthy merchants commissioned grand residences and public buildings decorated with lavish architectural elements. One of such places is Place Saint-Louis (18th century). It’s a beautiful square surrounded by elegant Baroque buildings, featuring a fountain and a statue of Louis XV.
German Influence:
The 19th century saw Metz become part of the German Empire. Despite the change in sovereignty, the city continued to thrive, and its architecture and culture absorbed the German art styles. The Belle Époque era brought about significant urban development, including the construction of the Porte des Allemands, a grand triumphal arch (1871). A triumphal arch built in a neoclassical style, commemorating the annexation of Metz by Germany. The arch features sculptures of German military figures and allegorical representations of the city. In the 20th century, Metz was heavily damaged during World War II but has since been carefully restored. Contemporary architecture includes building of the Centre Pompidou-Metz (2010). This is a contemporary art museum that features a large, undulating roof that resembles a boat.
Here are a few prominent figures who lived in Metz:
Art museum, Metz, France
Saint Ambrose (339-397): A renowned theologian and Church Father who was born in Metz. He was a key figure in the development of Christian doctrine and served as the Bishop of Milan.
Charles the Great (742-814): The Carolingian king and emperor, who ruled over a vast empire that included Metz. He is considered one of the most influential figures in European history.
Saint Arnould (582-640): The first bishop of Metz, who is credited with founding the city’s first cathedral. He is a patron saint of the city.
Saint Clothilde (475-544): The wife of Clovis I, the first Frankish king to convert to Christianity. She is considered a saint and is associated with the city of Metz.
Pierre de Coubertin (1863-1937): The founder of the modern Olympic Games, who was born in Paris but spent much of his childhood in Metz. His family’s roots are deeply connected to the city.
Jean-Marie Le Pen (born 1928): A French politician and the founder of the National Front party. He was born in Metz and spent his early years there.
A close up of a painting, Metz, France. Photo: Veronica Winters
Major Historic Sights in Metz
Saint-Étienne Cathedral: A magnificent Gothic cathedral renowned for its beautiful stained glass windows and elaborate architecture.
Place Saint-Louis: A charming square surrounded by 18th-century buildings, featuring a fountain and a statue of Louis XV.
Porte des Allemands: A triumphal arch built to commemorate the annexation of Metz by Germany in 1871.
Centre Pompidou-Metz: A contemporary art museum designed by Shigeru Ban, Jean de Gastines, and Philip Gumuchdjian.
Temple Neuf: A Protestant church built in the 12th century, featuring beautiful Romanesque architecture.
Musée de la Cour d’Or: A museum dedicated to the history and archaeology of the region.
Arsenal: A former military arsenal converted into a cultural center, hosting exhibitions and events.
Opera House
Metz’s possesses truly inspiring architectural blend of churches and buildings set against beautiful, clean streets, fountains and summer flowers. If you’re seeking to explore the history and diversity of France, this town is one of such charming places in France.
Metz art museum, a small painting by Sargent.Visit the art shop now!
Mycenae, view from the top of the mountain where excavations unearthed the ancient site.
Mycenae is the ancient archeological site near Mykines in Argolis, Greece. It’s a fascinating place to visit when you learn about its connection to the ancient Greek history. What seems to be a myth today was a reality in some 16th century BC. This is a place of one of the oldest known cultures in the world- the Mycenaeans. They wrote in Linear B text, the cyclopes built walls and people worshiped the Earth goddess. Perseus founded Mycenae and Agamemnon, king of Mycenae, set out against Troy in the Trojan War. Thanks to independent excavations of an adventurer and explorer, Heinrich Schliemann in 1876, Mycenae got unearthed to us today. Mycenae is located about 120 km (75 miles) south-west of Athens, near Argos. Corinth is about 48 km (30 miles) away from it. The site stands on a beautiful mountain rising 900 feet (274 meters) above the sea level. The collapse of the Mycenaean civilization happened around 1100 BC.
Mycenae excavations
While you can view some artifacts from these excavations in a nearby archeological museum, other items are on display at the museum in Athens. I’m placing pictures about the Mycenean culture from both museums here. I also put some pictures of the local landscape and excavations in the area for you to see how it looks like today. Some pictures look orange and it’s not because of a fancy filter. When we visited Mycenae, the sky turned orange and a rain of sand drops covered the entire landscape as far as we could see. It turned out, it was due to the Sahara dust storm that moved with the wind turning everything orange. The sand covered trees, cats and us. 🙂 The historic descriptions of the place you’ll see below come from the area and museums I visited there.
Mycenean figures revealed during the excavations of the site in Mycenae, Greece
Fact or Myth #1: Perseus found Mycenae
According to Greek legends, Mycenae was founded by Perseus, son of the god Zeus, and the human princess Danae. King of Argos, Perseus beheaded the gorgon, Medusa who turned men to stone. The legend tells a story that Perseus after fulfilling the prophecy that he would kill his grandfather Acrisios, exchanged the kingdom of Argos for that of Tiryns and then founded Mycenae, a new city for himself.
"It's known to the Greeks, that Perseus founded Mycenae……." Pausanias, II, 15,4
Perseus with the Head of Medusa, Antonio Canova, Italian, commissioned by Count Jan and Countess Valeria Tarnowski, 1804–6, the Met, http://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/204758
Where does the name ‘Mycenae’ come from? There are at least 3 explanations given for this name.
1. It comes from Perseus’ sword pommel that he dropped in this place. The sword had a mushroom shape (mykes).
2. It comes from an actual mushroom that Perseus picked up to drink from when he was thirsty. It caused a spring to well up (Perseia spring).
3. Homer derives the name from Mycenae, a nymph of great beauty but of uncertain origins. The Perseid dynasty ruled over Mycenae and its territories for at least three generations. Eurystheus, the last of the line, was the king for whom Hercules performed his famous twelve labors. When Eurystheus was killed in a battle against the Athenians and the sons of Hercules, the people of Mycenae chose Atreus, the son of Pelops, to become their king.
Perseus beheading Medusa, terracotta lekythos (oil flask), attributed to the Diosphos Painter, ca. 500 BCE the Met. While Perseus flies over the Medusa, Pegasus jumps out from the gorgon’s dead body. http://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/247488
Fact or Myth #2: Perseus employed Cyclopes to build the walls
To fortify his city, Perseus employed the mythical “Cyclopes” to build the walls and it is from that event the style of gigantic masonry is named “Cyclopean”. So the cyclopean masonry can be seen in the Lion Gate and the North Gate. It’s believed that the cyclopes built the walls around the gate because the weight of these stones is between 20-100 tons!
Funerary Proto-Attic Amphora with a depiction of the blinding of the cyclopes- Polyphemus by Odysseus and his companions, 670-660 BCE, Eleusis. The Cyclops is depicted on the right of the vase | photo: Veronica Winters
Who are the cyclopes in ancient Greek mythology? Cyclopes are a race of giants with one eye in the middle of their foreheads. Their name comes from the Greek words Kýklōpes, which means “circle-eyes” or “round-eyes”. The Cyclopes are often depicted as unintelligent and work as shepherds. They are known for their extraordinary strength, height, and power. Two of the main myths appear in the works of Homer and Hesiod, 7th-century BCE poets and storytellers. In Theogony, Hesiod describes the Cyclopes as three brothers named Arges, Steropes, and Brontes who were blacksmiths and made Zeus’s thunderbolt. In the Odyssey, the Cyclopes are an uncivilized group of shepherds that Odysseus encounters, including Polyphemus, one of their brothers. In the story, Odysseus and his men get trapped in Polyphemus’s cave after eating and drinking his food. Odysseus eventually blinds Polyphemus by plunging a burning stake into his eye while he’s sleeping, and escapes with six of his friends by clinging to the bellies of Polyphemus’s sheep. The Cyclopes are also known for building the Cyclopean walls of Mycenae and Tiryns, and for helping the Olympian gods defeat the Titans in the Titanomachy. In gratitude, the gods released the Cyclopes from Tartarus after Uranus imprisoned them for unruly behavior, and the Cyclopes went on to make Hades’s helmet, Poseidon’s trident, and Artemis’s silver bow.
Fact or Myth #3: The Lion Gate mystery reveal
The Lion Gate, Mycenae
THE LION GATE
The main gate of the Acropolis was constructed in the middle of the 13th century BC. One of its main features is a limestone slab, which fills the area of the “relieving triangle” and bears two lions facing each other in relief. Their front paws lean on two small altars supporting a column. The missing heads were probably made of a different material- steatite. These lions look different and out of place like they were carried from someplace and set in here to make this unusual entrance. This is the earliest example of a monumental sculpture set between the gigantic stones that symbolize the royal house of Mycenae.
THE NORTH (POSTERN) GATE
It was constructed during the second building phase of the walls around 1250 BC. Four monolithic blocks of conglomerate (‘almond stone’) form the two jambs, the lintel and the threshold. The gate was closed with a double wooden door, bolted by a sliding bar. Instead of a relieving triangle, it has two, plain, vertical slabs set on edge above the lintel, thus transferring the weight to the two doorposts. Inside the gate is a small internal court, from which a road led up to the megaron. The special care with which the two large gates of the citadel were built attests to the Mycenaean masons’ expertise.
The Gate shows the Cyclopean masonry with multi-ton stones.
Fact or Myth #4: Discovery of the Agamemnon Shrine of the Mycenean king who fought in the Trojan War
THE AGAΜΕΜΝΟΝΕΙΟΝ
In Greek mythology, Agamemnon was a legendary king of Mycenae who led the Greek army during the Trojan War. Famous for his bravery and military skills, Agamemnon was the son of King Atreus and Queen Aerope, and the brother of Menelaus. He married Clytemnestra, and they had several children, including Iphigenia, Electra, Orestes, and Chrysothemis.
The Agamemnoneion is one of the most important shrines of historical times in the vicinity of Mycenae. It is located approximately 1 km southwest of the Acropolis. Excavations in the area brought to light the architectural remains of a rectangular building that was used from the late Geometric ( 700 BC) to the Hellenistic period ( 2nd century BC). The early form of the shrine remains unclear. However, in the Hellenistic period, the shrine was repaired and transformed into a temenos.
Most of the finds come from an archaic deposit that contained among other finds geometric and archaic Argive pottery and archaic figurines, all of which appear to be offerings to male gods or heroes. Inscribed sherds referring to Agamemnon, have led to the identification of this small sanctuary as a shrine of the hero and protagonist in Homer’s Iliad.
The Trojan War
The Trojan War is the most famous event in Greek mythology that involves a decade-long siege of the city of Troy by the Greeks. Three goddesses, Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite quarreled who was the fairest of them all. Their judge, Paris, the handsome son of the Trojan king Priam, decided in favor of Aphrodite and as a reward, was promised the most beautiful woman in the world, Helen, wife of king Menelaus of Sparta.
The abduction of Helen, Queen of Sparta, by Paris, the Prince of Troy triggered the Trojan War. Helen’s husband, King Menelaus of Sparta, convinced his brother, King Agamemnon of Mycenae, to lead an expedition to Troy to retrieve her. Agamemnon was joined by many Greek heroes, including Achilles, Odysseus, Nestor, and Ajax, and a fleet of 1186 ships and more than 100.000 men from 22 different states set out against Troy under the command of Agamemnon, king of Mycenae.
The ten-year war included many events, such as raids on other cities, single combat challenges, mutinies, and love affairs. The Greeks won many battles and killed the Trojan hero Hector, but they were unable to break through the walls of Troy. Odysseus then devised a plan to trick the Trojans into opening the gates by leaving behind a large wooden horse containing a raiding party. When the Trojans brought the horse into the city, the Greeks opened the gates and sacked Troy, killing the men and taking the women. The war is told in many works of Greek literature, most notably Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey, which were likely composed in the 8th century BC. The Trojan hero, Hector, was slain by Achilles. Homer’s poem ends there and does not mention Achilles’ death, the stratagem of the wooden “Trojan Horse” and the sack of Troy.
The legends of Mycenae: the house of Pelops
Atreus, son of Pelops, ruled Mycenae. His enmity, towards his brother Thyestes led him to give the unfortunate man the flesh of his own children to eat (the so-called “Thyestean feast”). The deed brought upon Atreus and all his descendants the wrath of the gods and Thyestes’ curse. His son and heir, Agamemnon, was murdered on his return from the Trojan war by his own wife Clytemnestra, assisted by her lover, Aegisthos. Orestes, Agamemnon’s son, and his sister Elektra killed both their mother and Aegisthos. After that, Orestes was forced to flee, pursued by the Fates, until he was finally acquitted by the Areopagus court in Athens. The last king of Mycenae, according to tradition was Tisamenos, Orestes’ son. He got killed while defending his state from an incursion by the descendants of Heracles.
Mycenean gold, in the Athens museum
Fact or Myth #5: The Agamemnon’s Gold Mask Mystery
The Mask of Agamemnon is displayed at the National Archeological Museum in Athens.
The Mask of Agamemnon is a gold funeral mask that was discovered in 1876 by archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann in the shaft graves of a royal cemetery at Mycenae, Greece (Grave Circle A). This mask was one of several gold funeral masks found laid over the faces of the dead buried in the shaft graves of a royal cemetery. The golden mask is 12 inches tall. Made from a single sheet of pure gold, it was hammered thin over a wooden mold. It’s considered one of the most famous discoveries from the Late Bronze Age as it shows the wealth and craftsmanship of the Mycenaeans at that time. The mask is displayed in the National Archaeological Museum in Athens.
Schliemann named the mask after the famous king of ancient Mycenae, Agamemnon, who is featured in Homer’s Odyssey and Euripides’ plays. The archeologist believed the mask was Agamemnon’s because of its preservation and nobility, and thought it could prove the king’s existence. However, the mask’s origin is up to debate since its discovery. Some art historians and archaeologists believe the mask is not Agamemnon’s because modern research has dated the mask to 1550-1500 BCE, which is 300 years before Agamemnon would have lived.
Grave Circle A
Grave Circle A is an extensive cemetery of the Middle Helladic and the early Late Helladic period, which spread west of the citadel. It was used for royal burials exclusively during the 16th century BC. It contained six shaft graves (I-VI), five of which were excavated by H. Schliemann in 1876 and one by P. Stamatakis in the following year. Marked with stone stelai, the graves contained inhumations of family members, luxury grave goods, etc that are on view at the National Archaeological Museum in Athens. Initially, Grave Circle A lays extra muros. Around 1250 BC, however, and with the extension of the cyclopean wall westwards, the royal burial ground appeared within the area of the citadel. The construction of a circular enclosure enhanced the structure.
What is the Helladic Period in Ancient Greece? The Helladic period is an archaeological term used to describe the culture of mainland Greece during the Copper and Bronze Ages, from around 3200–1050 BC. It's divided into three phases: Early, Middle, and Late Helladic. The Late Helladic period is also known as the Mycenaean period.
Gold iron ritual weapons found in grave IV, circle A, Mycenae 16th BCE
Some Excavated Buildings in the area:
1. The Pylos tholos tombs, 16th-14th centuries BC
The characteristic Mycenaean tholos tombs, with their strange beehive-shaped funerary chamber and long entrance passage, first appeared in Messenia. Two large tholos tombs (Tombs III and IV) were constructed near the palace at Pylos in the 16th century BC. Although looted, they contained many precious grave gifts, which spoke of the rulers’ wealth in this region. (There are the tholos tombs at Myrsinochori (Routsi) found in the area of Pylos, one of the early Mycenean centers in Messenia).
Submycenaean Geometric Period
Although the area of Mycenae was gradually abandoned at the end of the 13th century BC, it was inhabited in the centuries that followed. The submycenaean and protogeometric periods are represented exclusively by burials in the south slope of the Acropolis, in the area of the Tholos tomb of Clytemnestra and Grave Circle B. Evidence of the geometric period comes from a number of houses built over the ruins of the palace as well as pottery both inside and outside of the fortification wall. This fragmentary pottery is probably connected with some kind of hero cult.
Early Geometric period vases, the figure of eight shield, an ivory sphinx, some golden decorations, etc shown at the Mycenae archeological museumEarly geometric period vases displayed in the Athens museum
2. House of Columns
The most important building on the east slope of the citadel. At its northwest corner, where the main entrance was situated, are preserved the doorjambs and the threshold of the conglomerate. The house owes its name to the existence of a colonnade in its central courtyard. Destroyed in fire, the building is dated to the second half of the 13th century BC. In the basement and storerooms of this building, archeologists found commercial stirrup jars with a Linear B tablet.
3. Artisan’s Quarter
Together with the House of Columns, the Artisans’ Quarter belongs to the east wing of the palace. This building complex was almost a square in its ground plan. It had two floors with a staircase in its northwest corner. Only the foundations exist here today. The Artisans’ Quarter has two rows of rooms on both sides of a narrow courtyard with an entrance. The building is known as an artists’ workshop on the basis of excavated objects found here – unfinished ivory objects, raw materials, gold leaf, remnants of semi-precious stones, etc. It dates to the second half of the 13th century BC. It was also destroyed in the conflagration at the end of the century.
4. Great Ramp & Hellenistic Chambers
Acquiring the form of a wide monumental ramp, the sloping ascent to the top of the citadel appeared in the late 13th century BC. Paved with thin slabs of schist, it was supported by a cyclopean retaining wall. The ramp begins from the inner courtyard of the Lion Gate, follows the incline of the rock, and stops at its south end. At the end of the ramp lies a suite of four Hellenistic chambers. Their function was possibly related to the processing and dyeing of textiles, a common activity of that period.
Acropolis of Mycenae, oil jars, 14-13 BCE
5. Ramp House & House of the Warrior Vase
These two houses are situated to the south of the Grave Circle A. The Ramp House had at least two floors, but only the foundations of the ground floor have survived to today. The House of the Warrior Vase is named after a famous krater decorated with the Mycenaean warriors. The building consists of basements and storerooms as storage jars with carbonized olives and bronze vases were found inside it. Both houses have the burials of the Helladic period, indicating that this entire area was previously a part of the Prehistoric Cemetery, which occupied the west slope of the hill before the fortification walls were constructed.
6. Other houses outside the Grave Circle B.
There is another group of excavated houses that lie outside the city walls. These are the House of Shields, the House of the Oil Merchant, the House of the Sphinxes, and the West House.
Butterflies printed on ancient Greek golden disks found in Mycenae, Grave Circle A. They date to 16 BCE. A butterfly was a symbol of the soul in the ancient Greek world.The cocoon was a symbol of rebirth. The pomegranate was a symbol of bounty. Gold balances represented the weighting of the soul in the Underworld. | Photo: Veronica Winters
Fact or Myth #6: Linear A and Linear B tablets discovery
According to Wikipedia, during the second millennium BC, there were four major branches: Linear A, Linear B, Cypro-Minoan, and Cretan hieroglyphic languages.
Linear A is a writing system of the Minoans practiced between 1800 BC and -1450 BC on the island of Crete. ( the Minoan civilization preceded the Mycenean one). The Linear A script evolved into the Linear B script, which was used by the Mycenaeans as the earliest form of ancient Greek language. It’s fascinating to learn that modern archeologists and historians still can’t read the Linear A script but they can read the Linear B texts. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linear_A
The Phaistos disc is found in Crete with linear A script displayed at the museum on the island of Crete. The Phaistos disk is a round, clay tablet. It has 45 pictorial signs being arranged in different combinations forming 61 groups. These groups are separated by incised lines that might represent words. These signs were stamped into soft clay with seals arranged in a spiral on both sides of the disc. Experts don’t understand the language or this writing in relation to Cretan scripts. The repetition of some combinations of signs suggests that the inscription is either a hymn or a magical text created in the early 17th century BC!Examples of the Linear B script. The images are examples of the texts I saw in the archeological museums of Greece.
Linear B script has been proven to be the first form of Greek writing. In 1900, Arthur Evans discovered the script in the palace of Knossos in Crete, where the Myceneans lived after 1450 BC. The Linear B text wasn’t read as a language until the discovery of a large archive of clay tablets stored in the Mycenean palace at Pylos in 1939. British architect, Michael Ventris and his assistant philologist John Chadwick deciphered Linear B texts in 1952. They proved that the tablets were written in an early form of the Greek language preceding the Homeric poems.
Linear B is a syllabic script. Each symbol corresponds to a certain syllable. It consists of about 90 syllabic signs, numerals, and ideograms (every picture denotes a concept). The Palace kept its records in the form of these clay tablets, which were administrative documents, such as lists, inventory recordings, and tax forms. These ancient recordings give invaluable insight into the palace’s hierarchy, social status, professions, trade, and manufacture of goods.
Fact or Myth #7: The birthplace of Hera’s worship & a peacock
Marble Head of Hera found in the Argive Heraion. Hera was the queen of the gods, wife to Zeus, and the patroness of women, marriage, and childbirth.
THE ARGIVE HERAION, The sanctuary of Hera near Mycenae
Hera herself claims to be the protector of Argos in Iliad IV, 50–52: "The three towns I love best are Argos, Sparta and Mycenae of the broad streets".
The sanctuary of Herawas the famous, ancient cult center that lay on a low hill between Argus and Mycenae. It was probably the birthplace of the worship of Hera in ancient Greece. The first temple of Hera was built in the 7th century BC that burned to the ground in the fire. It’s said that it’s due to neglect of the priestess Chryseie in 423 BC.
The second, the Doric temple was built to honor the goddess by the architect Eupolemos of Argus about 420-410 BC. right on a terrace below the old temple. Some parts of the 5th-century temple were preserved, including lavish sculptural decorations. The depiction of the birth of Zeus decorated the pediment of the east side of the temple. The Gigantomachy decorated the metopes of the same side. The Trojan War cycle themes dominated the west side of the temple. The west pediment had a representation of the Sack of Troy. The metopes of this side depicted the Trojan Amazonomachy. There were also some lion-shaped water spouts, relief palmettes, tendrils, and cuckoos, the bird answered to the goddess.
The colossal gold and ivory cult statue of Hera that had stood inside the temple was the work of the Argive sculptor Polydoitas. Its form is known from the depictions on coins of Argos issued in the 2nd century AD and from the descriptions of the travel writer Pausanias. * From the description in the museum in Athens.
The Peacock in Greek Mythology
The peacock was a sacred bird to Hera, Hera became jealous when Zeus would spend time with one of his many mistresses, and recruited Argus to watch her with his hundred eyes. (According to Ovid, Argus had a hundred eyes). When Argus got killed, Hera set his eyes on the peacock's tail to immortalize him. In another version of this myth, Hera turned Argus into a peacock. This bird pulled her chariot in honor of his faith to her. Juno, Roman goddess has similar to Hera status and myth.
Other fun facts about the Mycenean world:
1. The use of Seals
Seals appeared in the Aegean area in the Early Bronze Age (3rd millennium BC). They had a long history of use in the advanced administrative systems of the Near Eastern cultures. Their widespread, administrative use reaches its apex in the Minoan palaces.
The microscopic engraved stones and the seal rings were true works of art that were used as jewelry, votive offerings, and amulets. The seals were used alone and in combination with the clay sealings for many years, confirming the existence of goods quality control. People who owned and used them were representatives of the upper class or other authority. Although the Mycenaeans were influenced by Minoan iconography, they used the seals primarily as objects of authority, while their contribution to the central administrative system was supplementary to the clay tablets. Their rich iconographic repertoire provides valuable information concerning religious convictions, the administrative framework and the social structure. * From the museum in Heraklion, Crete
2. The status of Women in the Mycenaean World
Women’s role in the Mycenaean world is suggested through iconography, precious and household objects, and the Linear B tablets. Many skills in the domestic economy that included special skills like textile-making and corn grinding belonged to slave women or female-tied workers.
There are many Linear B symbols talking about the textiles dying. The fabric was wool of different weights, to purple-red color. People worked in different stages making fabric, having separate professions for each step of the process.
The upper-class women were involved in royal activities that included the creation of personal, refined adornment pieces. The goddesses wore ornate Minoan dresses. The female priestesses played an important role in religious activities that gave them special social status.
The vast majority of this information comes from the local museum & notes placed along the route in the archeological site of Mycenae, Greece that I visited in 2024. I also used some Google to write the summary of the Trojan war and alike. If you’d like to explore other fascinating archeological sites of Greece, visit the links below as I explore the archeology and art of Delphi, Holy Meteora and more.
Greek art styles
Greek art is generally divided into four major periods, each with distinct styles and characteristics:
Geometric Period (900 – 700 BCE):
Emerging from the Greek Dark Ages, Geometric art is characterized by its focus on geometric patterns and stylized figures.
Pottery decoration is prominent, featuring abstract motifs like meanders, triangles, and swastikas.
Human and animal figures are depicted in a simplified, geometric manner.
Archaic Period (700 – 480 BCE):
This period witnessed a shift towards more naturalistic depictions.
Sculptors began carving figures in the nude, adhering to a rigid and idealized form known as the Archaic smile.
Pottery decoration continued to evolve, with the introduction of the black-figure technique where figures are painted in black silhouette against a red background.
Classical Period (480 – 323 BCE):
Considered the pinnacle of Greek art, the Classical period emphasized balance, proportion, and realism.
Human figures were depicted in more natural poses with a focus on ideal beauty and perfect anatomy.
The red-figure technique dominated pottery decoration, with intricate details and narrative scenes.
Famous Classical sculptors like Phidias and Polyclitus developed influential styles portraying gods and heroes in a majestic and harmonious way.
Hellenistic Period (323 – 31 BCE):
Following the conquests of Alexander the Great, Hellenistic art embraced a wider range of emotions and expressions.
Sculptures became more dynamic and dramatic, capturing movement and individual personalities.
Art from this period often reflected a more theatrical and emotional style.
Genre scenes depicting everyday life gained popularity alongside mythological themes.
The cult center of Delphi: its history, architecture, oracles, Greek myths & art
Ancient Delphi: buildings reconstruction shown at the site
When I looked at the images of Delphi before going to Greece, I wasn’t impressed with the site. Not much was left there but a few columns and stones. However, when I reached that place, I was stunned by Delphi’s ethereal beauty and historical significance. The ruins of ancient Delphi lie less than a mile east of the modern town of Delphi (which is small and insignificant).
Situated at the top of Mount Parnassos, the breathtaking view of ancient Delphi channels mysticism, history and unique culture. This is the place where Zeus marked the center of the world, God Apollo slayed the serpent, the oracle uttered her prophecies that influenced ancient Greek history, the Pythian Games came about and the Greeks worshiped their gods with incredible offerings. Delphi couldn’t be a more beautiful place for a temple to Apollo.
According to ancient legends, the first settlement of Delphi was a shrine of the Earth Mother, Gaia. Ice-age people worshiped her divine powers. When the Mycenaeans lived in the village, Delphi was already known for its sacred oracle and prophecies around the second millennium B.C. (according to the International Dictionary of Historic Places, book).
Red-Figure Squat Lekythos (Oil Vessel): Birth of Erichthonios, c. 420–410 BCE, attributed to Meidias Painter, Greek, Attic, active c. 420–400 BCE. A closeup of a vase, The Cleveland Museum of Art.
The seated earth goddess Gaia or Ge handed her baby, Erichthonios, to Athena. Conceived from the seed of Hephaistos, Erichthonios would go on to become a king of Athens, and the story of his birth became popular in Athenian art of the 5th century BC.
In antiquity, reaching an important cultural cult center and sanctuary of Delphi would be a long and tough journey traveling from Attica or other places. It would be a place of cleansing, worship, and rich offerings to receive guidance from the oracle. The messengers sent to enquire of the oracle entered the sanctuary only after being purified in the Castilian Spring. The ancient Greeks consulted the Delphic Oracle as she spoke the truth channeling prophecies from God Apollo himself.
When you reach Delphi, you’ll see the ruins and foundations of both temples and votive offerings in the Sacred Way with some reconstruction and artifacts in the archeological museum. The sanctuary was destroyed after the last Roman Emperor, Theodosius I, in the name of Christianity, wiped out the temple of Apollo and art in the sanctuary around 390 AD. Only in the 17th century, considerable interest emerged with major excavations taking shape in the 19th century. Greece became independent from the Turks in 1829, and archaeologists began researching the site. They removed a small village built atop Delphi and unearthed the ancient ruins in the late 19th century. In 1935, archeologists found a pit below the paving of the Sacred Way filled with precious materials that got destroyed in the earthquake of 548 B.C. They included parts of the chryselephantine statues (female heads made in bronze and gold), miniatures, silver bull fragments, and other artifacts now displayed at the Museum of Delphi. You can also see some pretty amazing archeological finds like the Naxian Sphinx and the bronze charioteer.
On your way to Delphi, stop by a small and beautiful town, Arachova. Have some coffee there and climb up the stairs to see a local church. You’ll find a perfect spot for selfies with a stunning landscape below.
The Charioteer, a closeup of a bronze sculpture done in the Classical period, 478 BC, 1,82m in height.The Oracle, Camillo Miola (Biacca), Italian, (1840 – 1919); 1880; Oil on canvas; 108 x 142.9 cm (42 1/2 x 56 1/4 in.); The J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles has a painting called The Oracle by Camillo Miola (Biacca), 42x56in, 1880. This painting depicts the Oracle of Delphi (Pythia) chosen by Apollo.
The Tholos of Delphi
The Tholos of Delphi reconstruction shown in Delphi, Greece
One of the most interesting ancient Greek buildings is the Tholos of Delphi. It’s a masterpiece of ancient Greek architecture because of its elaborate decoration, polychromies, and exceptional craftsmanship. In antiquity, the Tholos stood out among the monuments of the Sanctuary of Athena Pronaia, the first sanctuary encountered by the pilgrims arriving from Attica or Boeotia.
In the early 4th century BC, the circular edifice consisted of a core structure built from the Pentelic marble originating from Mount Penteli in Attica. Theodoros from Phocaea was the architect of this building because the Roman architect- Vitruvius mentioned his name in the book titled “De Architectura.” The floor was made of white marble in the center and dark limestone from Eleusis towards the circumference.
The marble roof had layered square panels and bows. The outside space had decorations of dancing women, clay tiles, or marble slabs.
Made of twenty Doric columns, the outer colonnade supported a frieze with triglyphs and metopes. What we see today at the site is just three columns that were restored in the 1930s to give us a better visual reference of the building. You can see the smaller interior metopes of the tholos in the nearby museum. These are broken pieces of figures from Greek mythology and history.
Delphi. Greek Doric order architectural style features the triglyphs, metopes, and the Anthemion flower decorating the frieze of the outer colonnade. Triglyph is a vertically channeled angular tablet that defines the Doric style. Metopes are either painted or sculptured decorations set between these triglyphs. (The Parthenon of Athens has 92 metopes). The Anthemion flower is one of the main decorations in Greek architecture and pottery. If we take off the triglyphs and metopes of the Greek building, it would become made in the Tuscan order, not the Doric one).The Anthemion shape found on a pottery, Delphi MuseumThe Tholos of Delphi with three reconstructed columns and the ruins of Cella with a staircase. The building was destroyed in a fire in the 1st century B.C. It was partly restored in 1938.
The cella or ‘temple’ is the inner, windowless chamber with a door in ancient Greek buildings. It usually contained a cult statue or a table with precious offerings. In the Tholos of Delphi, the inner colonnade of ten Corinthian-style half-columns decorated the circular wall inside the cella. The relief metopes of the outer frieze had the scenes of Centauromachy and Amazonomachy, now on display in the Archaeological Museum of Delphi. The conical roof also had sculptural decorations. The original function of the building is unknown. It was possibly associated with the cult of Mother Earth, the first divinity worshipped in the sanctuary.
The open area of circular Halos, which means the “threshing floor” used to have religious significance with a ritual held every eight years in that place. The ritual showed a reenactment of the god Apollo slaying the serpent. The boy who impersonated Apollo walked the Doloneia staircase situated at the rear of the Halos. There were 4 semi-circular exedras built surrounding the Halos in antiquity with just two of them preserved today. Exedra means a portico or arcade with a bench or seats for people to converse.
The Tholos observed from the Temple of Apollo “Polychromy” means “many colors” in Greek. There are traces of colors left on some ancient Greek sculptures showing cinnabar red, yellow ochre, carbon-based black, and blue pigments. “Kunsthistorische Bilderbogen”, Verlag E. A. Seemann, Leipzig. Picture is in the public domain.
This is a reconstruction of the Polychrome decoration characteristic of the ancient Greek architectural style.
The Omphalos of Delphi
The Oracle; Camillo Miola (Biacca) (Italian (Neapolitan), 1840 – 1919); 1880; Oil on canvas; 108 x 142.9 cm (42 1/2 x 56 1/4 in.);
The Rock of Sibyl: The oldest cult center in Delphi was made of rocks fallen from the Phaedriades, dark limestone cliffs on Mount Parnassos. According to a local tradition, the first prophetess of Delphi, the Sibyl Hierophile, stood here to utter her oracles. It’s believed she had foreseen the fall of Troy. The ancient sanctuary of Earth (Ge) appeared around the sacred spring in this area, meaning that Delphi was the center of the world.
A copy of The Omphalos of Delphi is displayed in the archeological museum of Delphi. The original stood in the adyton, where Pythia gave the prophecies or oracles. Hellenistic period. Marble. Delphi. Height: 1,23 m, Diameter: 0,92 m.
The sacred omphalos of Delphi (or navel-stone), are believed to have fallen from the heavens. Devoid of artistic shape, it was a conical stone thrown down by Zeus to find the center of the world, the Earth’s navel. According to the Greek myth, Zeus released two golden eagles to fly in opposite directions from Mount Olympus. These two birds met over Delphi and Zeus threw down a stone there, which became the Earth’s navel thereafter.
This marble representation of the omphalos is a Hellenistic or Roman copy of the Archaic omphalos, which was kept in the adyton inside the temple of Apollo. The adyton was a restricted area within the cella of a Greek or Roman temple. It was the most sacred part of the temple, often located at the end of the cella, and translates to “innermost sanctuary, shrine” or “not to be entered”. The ancient writings suggest that the sacred tripod, prophetic laurel, and omphalos were all kept in the adyton of the Temple of Apollo, where Pythia pronounced her oracles.
The relief decoration of the stone imitates the weave of the agrenon, the thick woolen net with attached bands of wool that covered the original sacred omphalos stored inside the adyton. There were many copies of the sacred omphalos that existed at the sanctuary. The exhibited stone may have been the one witnessed by the travel writer Pausanias in the 2nd century AD. According to him, the tied bands had points with gorgon-shaped precious stones. The two golden eagles were affixed to its top.
It's quite fascinating to learn that the omphalos played an important role in the oracle's predictions, suggesting that Pythia talked to Gods and channeled her oracles through this stone. Moreover, it's speculated that Apollo buried the Python (that was the Earth's spirit) under the Omphalos and that allowed for this communication.
The Delphic Tripod: Apollo, Hercules & Pythia
The Oracle; Camillo Miola (Biacca) (Italian (Neapolitan), 1840 – 1919); 1880; Oil on canvas; 108 x 142.9 cm (42 1/2 x 56 1/4 in.); Painting detail showing the Oracle of Delphi sitting on the Delphic Tripod uttering the prophesies. This Delphic tripod was a chair on which the oracle set.
Apollo as the oracular god, Dionysus as his brother
The Greek god Apollo arrived at Delphi around 1000 B.C. In legends and myths, the oracle of the earth goddess, Gaia was guarded by a great serpent, the python. Apollo killed the serpent with an arrow and became known as the Pythian Apollo. Apollo is the most important oracular god in ancient Greece. He helped ancient Greeks navigate decision-making by knowing the future and communicating the thoughts of his father, Zeus. Therefore, the oracle was so important to the nation, giving people the divine guidance they needed to live their lives.
So consultations with the oracle took place in the temple of Apollo every month. The rituals happened inside the temple’s adyton. A priestess sat upon a tripod to cry out her oracles. Following a purification ritual at the Castalian spring, she believed to be in a trance answering questions from the visitors. Some important outcries were engraved on stone. Those cries received interpretation from priests and were written down into verses. People asked different questions in regards to their personal lives, and military and religious conquests. The city-states also asked questions that were written down on a sealed tablet to travel back to them. According to the museum’s description, 615 prophecies were saved in literary sources and inscriptions. The interpretation of such prophecies or oracles was ambiguous because the person who asked the question could interpret them as well. Therefore, God Apollo was also known as Loxias or ambiguous. He represented the best virtues, mainly art, music, poetry, beauty, health, and reasonable behavior.
Attributed to the Nikon Painter, Terracotta lekythos (oil flask), ca. 460?-450 B.C., Terracotta, H. 15 in. (38.1 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Leon Pomerance, 1953 (53.224)
Apollo’s younger brother Dionysus, was also worshiped at Delphi. In ancient Greco-Roman sculpture, Dionysus has a beautiful slender body and long, wavy hair, and sometimes is thought to be Apollo and vice versa. Dionysus was the god of wine and irrational behavior. The two gods were worshiped at different times of the year.
John Collier, Priestess of Delphi, 1891, oil on canvas, 160 cm (62.9 in); width: 80 cm (31.4 in), Art Gallery of South Australia. The artist imagines Pythia sitting on a tripod with vapor rising from a crack in the earth beneath her.
Several known inscriptions came from the Delphic oracle. In 680 B.C., an oracle ordered the citizens of Megara to find the city of Byzantium (Constantinople/ İstanbul). In 547 B.C., Croesus, the king of Lydia, was told that he would destroy a great kingdom if he crossed the Halys River. He did so, was defeated by the Persians, and it was his own kingdom that was destroyed. In 480 B.C., Athens was threatened by Persian military forces. The oracle told the Athenians that they would be unconquerable behind a wooden rampart. This prophecy proved to be true: an Athenian fleet composed of wooden boats defeated the Persians at the decisive battle of Salamis. Many other of the oracle’s pronouncements influenced political and economic decisions of importance in the Mediterranean world. In return for the oracle’s advice, the temple received numerous valuable gifts. The remains of some of these treasures can be seen in the Delphi Museum. (International Dictionary of Historic Places).
The Father of Psyche Consulting the Oracle of Apollo by Baron François Gérard, 1796, pen and brown and gray ink, brown and gray wash, and gouache, over black chalk,18.9 × 14.6 cm (7 7/16 × 5 3/4 in.), The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles.
In the picture, Psyche and her mother enter the temple of Apollo at the moment when the oracle delivers a message from the god. With his pointed finger, Apollo prophecies that beautiful Psyche will marry a monster. While the girl falls into despair in her mom’s arms, her father and Cupid stay calm suggesting reason over emotion.Unknown illuminator, Simonides Consulting the Oracle of Apollo, 1475, tempera colors, gold leaf, and gold paint, Leaf: 43.8 × 30.5 cm (17 1/4 × 12 in.), JP Getty museum, Los Angeles.
This is one of the pages from the illuminated manuscript depicting the Oracle of Apollo.
Apollo slaying the serpent Python in Greek mythology
Apollo standing at left shooting a python with an arrow, above to the left are the muses and at right on a cloud, Cupid approaching Apollo, from “Story of Apollo and Daphne”, engraving, Master of the Die, Italian, After Baldassare Tommaso Peruzzi, Italian, 1530–60. The Met. http://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/364035
In Greek mythology, Apollo was the son of the king of all gods, Zeus (Jupiter) and a Titan mother, Leto, goddess of darkness. Apollo was one of the twelve gods of Olympus. Python was a gigantic serpent, the son of Gaea (the Earth goddess and the first goddess of the sanctuary), that lived inside the Earth in Delphi in accordance with the ancient Greeks belief. Hera, the wife of Zeus, got upset and decreed to kill Leto before giving birth to her child. Eventually, Leto gave birth to twins in a cave, Apollo and Artemis (Diana), the god of light and the sun and the goddess of the moon and the hunt. Hera sent the python to kill them but baby Apollo protected his family and slayed the serpent shooting arrows with his bow. Apollo's punishment for that act was his servitude to King Admetus as a cowherd for 9 years.
A closeup of “Latona and Her Children, Apollo and Diana,” William Henry Rinehart, American, 1870, carved 1874, (Leto in Greek).
In classical, Greco-Roman sculpture Apollo is the ideal of male physical beauty. He was shown nude with arrows and a bow, young, tall, fit, beardless, with long wavy hair collected in a bow-like not and beautiful, well-proportioned face. There are many depictions of Apollo in art history. I think the most beautiful ones are the "Belvedere Apollo" in the Vatican and Bernini's "Apollo and Daphne" in Rome. Below you'll find the most beautiful sculptures of god Apollo.
Belvedere Apollo, Marble. H. 2.24 m, 7 ft. 4 in, the Vatican. This marble statue is thought to be a copy of a bronze original by the Greek sculptor Leochares from the 2nd century. Usually, it’s on view in the Vatican but it’s under restoration in 2024. Image author: Livioandronico2013 via wikimedia commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. This file is licensed under the Creative CommonsAttribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license. You can also see a life-size plaster cast of the Belvedere Apollo in the Wilcox Classical Museum Collection at the University of Kansas https://wilcox.ku.edu/s/wilcox/item/11600 https://www.museivaticani.va/content/museivaticani/en/collezioni/musei/museo-pio-clementino/Cortile-Ottagono/apollo-del-belvedere.htmlApollo as an Archer (Apollo Saettante), was found in Pompeii, Italy in 1817. Roman, 100 B.C.–before A.D. 79; Bronze, 57 7/8 x 21 5/8 x 44 7/8 in. (147 x 55 x 114 cm). This bronze sculpture of Apollo was buried by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD and was discovered in the early 19th century after the discovery of another bronze sculpture of Apollo’s twin sister Artemis. This statue was conserved at the J. Paul Getty Museum in 2009 and 2010.The bronze statue of Apollo was made using the lost wax technique. Greeks made the model in clay, then in wax, and then cast it in bronze pieces that they assembled with a fusion welding technique with a finish. They often put eyes made of stones and glass as you can see here. The lost wax process is explained here: https://www.getty.edu/art/exhibitions/apollo_pompeii/lostwax.htmlApollo’s eye from the sculpture in Pompeii, photo: JP Getty Museum. 500-100 BC, marble, obsidian, glass and copper. Cleveland Apollo, the eyes, 350–200 BCE, The Cleveland Museum of ArtBernini, Apollo and Daphne, marble, 1625, the Borghese gallery, Rome.
From the museum’s description: Both the kithara, decorated with griffins, and the swan upon which it rests, signify Apollo’s roles as the god of music and leader of the Muses. Apollo received his lyre from Hermes, who invented it.Swans were considered sacred to Apollo because he gave them the gift of prophecy. Swans sing a glorious song before they die, knowing they will soon return to Apollo to be reborn.Marble statue of the so-called Apollo Lykeios, Roman, 130–161 CE, the Met, This is a Roman copy of a Greek bronze of the mid-4th century B.C. often attributed to Praxiteles. This famous statue of Apollo stood in the outdoor gymnasium near Athens. The legs were restored from many shuttered pieces. http://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/247002The Cleveland Apollo or Apollo Sauroktonos (Lizard-Slayer) or Apollo the Python-Slayer c. 350–200 BCE, The Cleveland Museum of Art, attributed to Praxiteles, (Greek, Athenian, c. 400–330 BCE) or Follower, Greece, Athens, Bronze, copper, and stone inlay, Overall: 150 x 50.3 x 66.8 cm (59 1/16 x 19 13/16 x 26 5/16 in.), Weight: 52.2 kgSculpture by Pietro Francavilla of Apollo‘s first triumph, when he slew with his bow and arrows the serpent Python, which lies dead at his feet. The Walters Art Museum. In my opinion, this is not the best sculpture of Apollo but it’s a famous example within the US.
Apollo of Sparta, Museum in Athens. Marble. 2nd century AD, a marble copy of a famous bronze statue of Apollo Parnopios (450 BC) was created by Pheidias.Apollo or Dionysus in Athens museum, marble.Contemporary statue of God Apollo in Athens
Apollo & Heracles fight over the Delphic Tripod
Apollo and Heracles struggle for the Delphic tripod. Side A from an Attic red-figure stamnos, c. 480 BC. Louvre, wikimediacommons image.
In Greek mythology, Hercules and Apollo, half-brothers by Zeus, fight over the Delphic tripod in a story that appears in numerous vase paintings. Hercules travels to Apollo's sanctuary at Delphi to consult the oracle, but when she doesn't give him the answer he wants, he becomes enraged and tries to steal the tripod to establish his own oracle. Apollo, who holds the tripod sacred, intervenes and the two half-brothers wrestle over it. Hercules is supported by his patron Athena, while Apollo is supported by his sister Artemis. Zeus eventually tries to break up the fight by throwing a thunderbolt between the brothers. After they are separated, Hercules receives an oracle that condemns him to atone for his crime by serving as a slave to Eurytus for three years. Hercules eventually returns the tripod to Apollo and reconciles with him.
Apollo and Heracles fight for the Delphic tripod displayed at the Met. Terracotta amphora (jar) Signed by Andokides, Attributed to the Andokides Painter, Attributed to the Lysippides Painter, ca. 530 BCE
The Temple of Apollo at Delphi was first built of stone in the 8th century B.C. The ruins of Delphi are the third temple that survived until the Romans. This first temple was destroyed in fire in 548 B.C. and the second one was destroyed in an earthquake in 373 B.C. The third and last temple of Apollo was purposefully destroyed with the rise of Christianity around 390 AD. Roman emperors wiped out pagan culture in Greece including the Sanctuary of Apollo. Both interest and excavations to this site emerged in the 17th century. (International Dictionary of Historic Places, page 183-186.)
The Temple of Apollo, a closeup showing the ruins and the altar of the third temple of Apollo ( the altar made and dedicated by the people of Chios) The Apollo Sanctuary map, copyright international dictionary of Historic Places book
The first Temple of Apollo was the centerpiece of the sanctuary as the abode of the god and the seat of the oracle. By the 6th century BC, its fame had spread throughout the entire world. The first Temple of Apollo was founded by the god himself, according to the Homeric Hymn to Apollo. However, the fire of 548 B.C. destroyed it.
The second temple of Apollo
After the fire, the Temple of Apollo was rebuilt on a much larger scale. The Greeks extended the length of the terrace of the temple. They built a long retaining wall with polygonal blocks and curved joints to keep the ground in place. This construction of the temple lasted for many years and required enormous financing raised in generous contributions of Greek cities, colonies, and foreign rulers. The administration of this new temple was associated with the Alcmaeonids, an aristocratic Athenian family that was living in exile during the tyranny of Peisistratus. The Amphictyony entrusted the completion of the building to the Alcmaeonid family in 510 BC. To receive the god’s patronage as well as the alliance of Greek cities in their struggle against political adversaries, Herodotus wrote that the Alcmaeonids used marble for the temple’s facade. They also hired a famous Athenian sculptor (possibly Antenor) to create sculptures and decorations for the temple. These impressive statues of poros and marble were found in fragmentary condition during the excavations. Placed in compositions, these statues adorn huge gables measuring 2.35 m in height by 19.40 m in width. The result is a visual harmony between restrained sculptural decorations and the austere Doric order of the temple.
The west pediment was decorated with moving figures, depicting the Gigantomachy (the battle between the Olympian gods and giants). The east pediment has static figures in «hieratic stillness» being in awe of Apollo’s arrival at Delphi. Great classical poets and pilgrims praised the Alcmaeonids and the Athenians for the creation of the Panhellenic sanctuary for over a century.
The 373 BC earthquake destroyed the temple of the Alcmaeonids. The rockfall buried much of the construction including the statue of the Charioteer we can see in the museum today. The Amphictyony was busy fundraising for the temple’s construction throughout Greece but most of the funds came from the fine imposed on the Phocians for looting the sanctuary during the ten-year Third Sacred War. A recorded testimony of plans, financial management, and technical methods of the site’s construction is left in the inscriptions on the stone stelae found during the excavations.
The third temple of Apollo
The third, peripheral Doric temple opened in 330 BC. It had beautiful sculptural decorations set on the pediments that depicted the god Apollo and the Muses on the east side and Dionysus and the Thyiads (or Maenads) on the west side. Persian shields, taken by the Athenians at the Battle of Marathon, were nailed to the metopes.
Archeological excavations didn’t reveal much about the temple’s interior space as it was destroyed to the ground. It’s assumed that the gilded statue of Apollo stood in the cella. There were wall engravings, and the oracular tripod and the navel-stone would be found under the cella’s floor.
The Apollo Sanctuary model presented at the Delphi museum
In recent years, the systematic re-examination of several sculptures that had been neglected in the museum storeroom led to their identification. They were the statues of the two pediments which were previously believed to have been carried off by the Roman emperors. This discovery confirmed the description of the pediments given by Pausanias, who had seen the sculptures in situ in the 2nd century AD and provided us with the picture of two compositions shown in fragments in this display.
Art of the Athenian artists lacks the majesty and strength of the Archaic pediments of the earlier temple, but features many innovations in iconography. The depiction of the two gods on the same monument and the unique representation of Dionysus as a kithara player. Apollo, the principal deity of the sanctuary concedes the west pediment of his temple and lends his favorite musical instrument, the kithara, to his brother, Dionysus. It appears that this relates to the official recognition of Dionysian worship at the Delphic sanctuary with the support of the temple priests at the time of the pediments’ construction in 340-330 BC. (*taken from the description inside the museum).
The temple of Apollo with the Serpentine column, Delphi, GreeceThe temple of Apollo and stoa of the Athenians, reconstruction, DelphiThis is a white-ground kylix found in a tomb in Delphi and displayed in the archeological museum. Kylix is a cup with a shallow bowl and a tall stem crafted in ancient Greece.
Created by the unknown vase-painter, the artist crowned Apollo with a wreath of myrtle leaves. The god sits on a fancy stool with legs in the shape of lion paws. Apollo wears a white peplos and red himation draped over his left shoulder. He plays the lyre with his left hand and offers libation with his right one, pouring wine. A black bird (a crow) accompanies Apollo recalls his mythical love for the beautiful Aigle-Koroni, the daughter of King Phlegyas. 480-470 BC.I took this picture in the late afternoon in April, showing the Serpentine column and ruins of the Temple of Apollo. You can see the breathtaking view of the ruins and mountains.
Agora
Agora is a paved rectangular square with 3 stoas reserved for social interaction and commercial meetings that occurred in late antiquity around the 4th century AD. There is only one out of three stoas preserved today. It had shops where visitors purchased their souvenirs and votives. Five small entrances led to the sanctuary of Apollo. The main entrance of the Sacred Way with the Pythian Games’ processions was the place for the Roman Agora in later times.
The Stoa of the Athenians
Stoa with the rear wall. A stoa is a portico consisting of a back wall, a colonnade in front, and a roof (not existing today). The Stoa of the Athenians at Delphi incorporated the pre-existing Polygonal Wall dating back to 560 B.C. It had seven marble columns with just 4 existing today.
Built between 510- 470 B.C., the stoa of the Athenians was a building in the Ionic style that waslocated at the center of Apollo sanctuary. Measuring 30 meters long, Stoa housed the trophies from the Athenians’ naval victories. The facade had seven monolithic marble columns (four of which survive) supporting a wooden roof. The Stoa was supported by the polygonal retaining wall of the Temple of Apollo in its back.
The carved inscription, "ΑΘΗΝΑΙΟΙ ΑΝΕΘΕΣΑΝ ΤΕΝ ΣΤΟΑΝ ΚΑΙ ΤΑ ΗΟΠΛΑ ΚΑΙ ΤΑΚΡΟΤΕΡΙΑ ΕΛΟΝΤΕΣ ΤΟΝ ΠΟΛΕΜΙΟΝ", notes that the Athenians dedicated the stoa, the ropes from the boats and the prow figureheads to the god after defeating the Persians. The building appears to have been constructed with public funds to promote Athens' leading role in the victory against the Persians at the Pan-Hellenic sanctuary of Delphi.
I think it’s really interesting to see how the ancient Greeks constructed their buildings. In some cases, it looks like they repurposed much older structures, construction materials, and methods of holding the stones together in their architecture.
The polygonal wall: The well-preserved polygonal retaining wall of the Temple of Apollo was built in the 6th century B.C. It provided support to the terrace with a temple for centuries. The construction blocks and their perfectly fitted curved joins are a construction that features precision and artistic perfection. Many carvings with about 800 inscriptions stretch across the entire length of the wall.
The Sanctuary of Athena
In the Sanctuary of Athena, the goddess was worshipped as the patroness of wisdom, fertility, and health. The eastern part of the precinct retains two porous stone foundations of the Archaic temples dedicated to Athena. These Doric-style temples date to the mid-7th century B.C. and to 500 B.C. respectively. The second temple had a surrounding colonnade consisting of six columns on its narrow sides and twelve columns on its long sides. Its interior consisted of two chambers, the pronaos (porch) and the cella. The cella would have had the cult statue of Athena inside it at that time. The earthquake destroyed this temple in 480 B.C.
The third temple of Athena was made of a local grey limestone in the mid-4th century B.C. in the western part of the precinct. The façade displayed six Doric columns. The opening between the pronaos and cella had two ionic columns. This temple didn’t have a surrounding colonnade.
The winged goddess, Nike was the symbol of victory who expressed the will of the gods in Greek myths. She named and rewarded the winners. Many Nikes were found at the sanctuary in Delphi coming from public buildings.
We can also find some meager remains of the two other buildings built around 500 B.C., located east of the temple. They are attributed to the precinct of the local hero Phylakos (Phylacus). According to Herodotus, the two heroes-Phylakos and Autonoos, defeated the Persians in 480 BC by hurling stones down on them.
The Treasuries
Beyond the Sacred Way monuments you can find the ruins of over 20 treasuries in which gifts to the shrine were displayed. They had various architecture, offerings and dedication. Unfortunately, not much is left but the stones of some foundations. However, the Doric temple Treasury of the Athenians is reconstructed to view.
The Siphnian Treasury drawing is shown inside the Museum of Delphi.
Created in the Ionic order, the treasury was the first one built out of marble completely around 530 BC. It consisted of 3 types of marble – Siphnian, Naxian, and Parian. This treasury had rich sculptural decorations, some depicting scenes from the Trojan War. It was painted in bright colors of blue, red, gold, and green.
The pediment over the façade of the treasury depicted Zeus attempting to prevent Hercules from stealing the Delphi tripod. The marble roof had sculptures and gutters depicting the lion’s heads. The pediment also had sculptures of Nikes and a sphinx.Siphnian treasury north and south friezes exhibited at the Delphi museum.
There are two, small treasuries present among the non-religious structures in the precinct of Athena Pronaia. These treasuries were dedicated sanctuaries. One Doric-style treasury dates back to the 5th century B.C. The second one is called the Treasury of the Massaliots. (Greek colonists of Massalia, modern Marseilles, who came from Phocaea in Ionia). Built around 530 B.C., it looked like a small temple. The ionic order treasury consisted of gleaming Parian marble with two columns in its façade. The columns had the Aeolic capitals.
Delphes. Voie sacrée et Trésor des Athéniens; Frédéric Boissonnas (Swiss, 1858 – 1946); 1910; Heliogravure / Photolithograph; 14.4 × 22 cm (5 11/16 × 8 11/16 in.);JP Getty Art Collection.
View of a sacred pathway in Delphi. The path faces the Treasury of the Athenians.Reconstructed Treasury of the Athenians. The sacred pathway faces the Treasury of the Athenians – a stone building with two fluted Doric columns. Made of Parian marble, the Athenian Treasury looks like a mini-temple that was built to keep the Athenian offerings to the Delphic oracle. The Doric frieze shows 30 metopes. The roof was made of marble painted in red. The Athenians built the Treasury after 490 B.C. to thank the god Apollo for their victory at the battle of Marathon. The sides have depictions of scenes from the life of Hercules and Theseus. There are many inscriptions inside this treasury related to the rituals dated from the 3rd century BC. The most important inscription is a hymn to Apollo displayed in the Museum of Delphi: “The Athenians to Apollo from the Medes at the battle of Marathon”.The metopes of the Athenian treasury, Delphi museum
We can find the stelae foundations left in front of the two treasuries. Their inscriptions recorded confiscations and debts to the sanctuary. In addition, Greeks placed a single pedestal with the Delphic trophy that marked the expulsion of the Persians in 480 B.C.
To the North of the Treasury of the Siphnians stand the remains of the Treasury of the Megarians, dated to the end of the 6th century B.C. The building had several reconstructions and some have over 40 inscriptions, referring to the Megarians, dating to the 5th century B.C. The foundations and the wall with the inscriptions were restored in 1976.
The Sicyonian Treasury got built in the 6th century B.C in 3 phases, replacing two older monuments. It was dedicated to the victorious presence the tyrant of Sicyon Cleisthenes in the First Sacred War. It’s believed that one of the buildings contained the chariot with which Cleisthenes won the chariot race in the first Pythian Games of 582 BC.
The Theban Treasury was created of limestone in the Doric style. Situated on the Sacred Way in the Sanctuary of Apollo, it was dedicated to the Thebans’ victory at Leuktra in 371 B.C. This was a rectangular building (12.29 x 7.21 meters). The local limestone of St. Elias was dark grey with some bluish shades that made it look plain, especially in comparison to the Treasury of the Siphnians. The architect made a lot of effort to design a very stable structure, decorated with a frieze, metopes, and triglyphs in white marble. It probably had no columns but doors and a window illuminating the cella.
The Cyrenaean Treasury or the Treasury of the Cyreneans was probably the last treasury built in the sanctuary of Apollo. Dating back to 334-322 B.C., the Doric-style building was made of Pentelic and Parian marble. The roof was made of marble as well with gargoyles in tubular and leonine forms. The engraved inscription suggests that it was an offering as a reward for the wheat they had offered during a famine. The eastern edge of the precinct contains the remains of various altars, dating back to the 6th century B.C. Their inscriptions hold the names of the Gods to whom they were dedicated, including Zeus, Athena Ergane, Athena Zosteria, Eileithyia, and Hygiea.
The Theatre & The Pythian Stadium
The theatre is considered the best-preserved monument in Delphi and in Greece. The Delphic theatre hosted musical and religious festivals, oracular rituals, and the Pythian Games dedicated to the victory of Apollo over the Python. The stadium was built around 450 BC where the Pythian Games began as musical contests. The ruins of the theatre and stadium have been excavated together.
The stadium that hosted the games is partially built into the side of Mount Parnassus. The original architectural finish of the theatre is unknown. It’s speculated that the spectators sat on wooden seats or the ground. The first theatre was made of stone in the 4th century BC.
The restoration took place around 160 B.C. with the funds of Eumenes II, king of Pergamon. The theatre’s present shape dates back to the early Roman period (1st century AD). The stones used for its construction came from the Mount Parnassos. The deep amphitheatrical shape had a seating capacity of 5,000 people. It was divided into two sections by a transverse corridor comprising 35 rows of seats.
The backstage flanked by two wings faced the seats and orchestra. There is only a foundation of this setup left today. Its facade, proscenium, or the part of a theatre stage in front of the curtain, was embellished with a relief frieze. The frieze depicted the labors of Herakles, now exhibited in the Archaeological Museum of Delphi. The frieze was probably added during the restoration period of 67 AD, at the time of the Roman emperor Nero’s visit to Delphi. Parts of the theatre walls have embedded inscriptions regarding the emancipation of slaves.
The Pythian Games were a series of athletic and musical competitions held every 4 years in ancient Greece to honor the god Apollo’s victory. The name ‘Pythian Games’ comes from the myth of Apollo slaying the Python in Delphi.
The games were one of the four Panhellenic Games, along with the Olympic, Nemean, and Isthmian Games. The Pythian games originated in the 6th century B.C. and continued until the 4th century AD. The Pythian games featured competitions in a variety of events, including athletics, music, poetry, chariot races, declamation, reading aloud, rhetoric, singing, and drama. This event was more than just a game. It was a big social and musical event with international crowds, diplomats, and politicians showing their power. The winners of the athletic games brought fame to themselves and their cities. They also received trophies in the shape of tripods and laurel leaves.
Built around the 4th century BC, the stadium of Delphi was about 178 meters long, situated at the highest spot in the sanctuary above the theatre. According to some inscriptions, it was called the “pythikon stadium” or the Pythian stadium. The total capacity of the stadium was about 6500 people. The stadium was abandoned in 394 A.D. Covered with earth, it became a place for pasture.
The Stadium of Delphi is the best-preserved stadium in Greece. It had 4 different constructions with tracks for athletes to compete. In the Roman period, they raised the track but reduced its length. The northern side of the stadium preserved 12 rows of seats divided by staircases in 12 tiers. The eastern side has a well-preserved start line, with two rows of slabs bearing incisions for the feet.
The gymnasium
The word ‘gymnasium’ came from the Greek word gymnós, meaning “nude”.
Dated to the 4th century BC, the Gymnasium of Delphi is nestled between the Castalia fountain and the sanctuary of Athena Pronaia. It consisted of several buildings including baths and restaurants. The running track (paradromis) was 6 meters wide and 172 meters long. The upper terrace had a long portico of 83 Doric columns used for athletics (xystos), which measured 9,05 x 185,95 m, the length of a Pythic stadium. Sand covered the floor for athletes to exercise. The lower terrace had the Palaestra ( ancient Greek wrestling school) and a pool with a sanctuary.
Monuments of the Sacred Way
The Sacred Way in Delphi was a short road that led up to the temple of Apollo. The stone paving slabs covering the Sacred Way belong to late antiquity. Lined up with incredible monuments, sculptures, and treasuries on both sides, this road represented the wins in ancient Greek history as the Greeks and the wealthy made these offerings to the gods. As such, Delphi was an important art center because skillful art and sculpture were created by famous Greek artists and offered as votives to the gods. Unfortunately, only the bases of these incredible monuments exist today. However, they have so many inscriptions there that the Delphic sanctuary is probably the largest open-air library of real ancient texts in existence now.
The serpentine column was the closest to the altar standing next to a bronze sculpture of Apollo (now missing).
One of the famous votives originally placed near the Temple of Apollo was a bronze bull (now missing) with a stone base existing today. Presented by the Corcyrans, this sculpture was made by Theopropos in the 5th century BC.
The votive of the Arcadians consisted of 9 bronze statues including Apollo. The Arcadians dedicated it to Apollo after they plundered Laconia in 370 BC. Only the base exists today.
There were two different votives of the city of Argos, one glorified their victory over Spartans in 457BC.
1. The stoa of king Attalus I. Dated to late 3rd century BC, this is probably a 2-storey stoa of Attalus with 10 Doric columns decorating the facades of each floor. The stoa was converted into a cistern for baths’ water supply in the 4th century AD. The Altar of the Chiots. The people of Chiots paid for this monument in the 5th century BC. There is an inscription on the base of the altar stating that the Chios had the right to consult the oracle before other Greeks. 2. Aemillus Paulus statue on a pedestal. This is the equestrian statue of the Roman consul who defeated the king of Macedon Perseus at Pydna in 168 BC. The statue stood on a 12-meter base and the pedestal’s frieze depicted the battle scenes from the battle of Pydna. This is considered the first historical relief, in which the Romans defeated the last Greek Macedonian king. The frieze is on view at the Museum of Delphi. 3. The Sun God statue on a pedestal. Located behind the Serpentine column as a foundation only today, the pedestal supported a gilded chariot of the Sun God, Ilios, patron of the island of Rhodes. This monument became the votive of the Rhodians in the late 4th century AD.
4. The Tripod of the Plataeans or the Serpentine Column. All 31 states of Greece contributed to the creation and installment of this votive monument in Delphi. The Delphi tripod was an offering to the god Apollo from the Greeks who won over the Persian Empire at the Battle of Plataea in 479 BC. The Greeks collected the spoils of their victory and dedicated 1/10 of it to cover the cost of making the golden tripod with caldron. The golden tripod was set on a 7.5m tall, bronze column with a 3-headed serpent. The Phocians melted down the gold from the tripod during the Third Sacred War (354-343 BC), while Constantine the Great transferred the serpentine column to Constantinople founded in 330 AD. It still stands in the Hippodrome area in Istanbul, Turkey.
* These museum descriptions are adapted to English for a better reading experience.
The Serpentine Column
The Serpent Column or Plataean Tripod standing in Delphi today is a copy of the original taken from the sanctuary by Constantine the Great and placed in the Hippodrome of Constantinople in 324 BC (Istanbul) where you’ll find it today. The serpentine column consisted of an in-scripted base with 13 coils (inscribed 31 Greek states who fought with the Persians), three bronze intertwined snakes, and a golden tripod with a cauldron (long missing). Based on some Ottoman illustrations, the serpent heads existed at the top of the column until the 17th century.At Meydani square, Hippodrome of Constantinople, Serpent Column, Obelisk of Theodosius-Aubry de la Mottraye, Constantinople, 1727. Image from wikimediacommonsGriffin heads that often decorated the caldrons, Delphi archeological museum
The offering consisted of nine statues placed on a long, narrow base. This sculptural group is one of the most important offerings made by a private person to the Delphic sanctuary of Apollo. According to the inscription on its base, the offering was commissioned by Daochos II of Pharsala, tetrarch of Thessaly and hieromnemon (Sacred Recorder) of the Delphic Amphictyony, 339-334 BC. At the right end stood a statue of Apollo. Next to the god stood six statues of Daochos’s ancestors starting with the genarch Aknonios, who presents his family to the god as follows: Agias, Telemachos, Agelaos, Daochos I, Sisyphos I, Daochos II himself, and his son, Sisyphos II.
The inscription mentions the names and most important accomplishments of the family members. The statue of Agias (top center), great-grandfather of Daochos II a renowned athlete of the pankration in the 5th century BC. He was a repeat winner in all of the Panhellenic games. This group is attributed to the famed sculptor Lysippos or his school. * Taken from writing inside the Museum of Delphi.
The giant Naxian Sphinx
The Naxian Sphinx figure, DelphiThe Giant Naxian Sphinx in Delphi: The Naxian Sphinx was created around 560 BC, preceding the construction of the Siphnian treasury – a building at the Ancient Greek cult center of Delphi, in which the priests hosted the offerings from the city of Siphnos. The building stood on the “Sacred Way” road going through the Sanctuary of Apollo.
Naxos, a wealthy island of the Cyclades, sent a gigantic offering to the Sanctuary of Apollo of Delphi – the statue of the mythical Sphinx. Its colossal size, imposing appearance, and location in the sanctuary (near the rock of Sibyl commemorated the political and artistic supremacy of Naxos in the Archaic era.
This demonic creature with a female face and enigmatic smile was supposed to be warding off the evil. Placed on the capital of a 12.50m tall ionic column, the sphinx became the oldest element in the ionic order in Delphi.
Greek Kouros
Kleobis and Biton, sons of Hera’s priestess, Greek Kouros in Delphi, Archaic period, 610 BC, height: 1,97 m, Parian marble. Discovered at the Apollo sanctuary, they were made by the sculptor Polymedes of Argos and dedicated to Apollo by the people of Argos. According to the museum’s description, Herodotus tells us a myth about two brothers, Kleobis and Biton. They helped their mother, Hera, to pull her chariot to the sanctuary and as a reward, the goddess granted them a peaceful death in their sleep.
The Charioteer
The Charioteer, bronze sculpture, Classical period, 478 BC, 1,82m in height.
This well-preserved monument was part of the votive offering received after the Pythian Games. Wearing a chiton, the figure stood on his chariot with horses. He has the eyes inlaid with glass and stones. The figure is reminiscent of a Doric column repeating long and simple lines in his clothing. His beautiful feet and slender figure make me think of a female form although his hair is short and a simple band around his head speaks of his victorious status.
Horseshoe-shaped monument
This monument had over 18 marble sculptures dating to the 3rd century BC. One of the statues shows “the Delphi Philosopher.”
The Lesche of the Knidians
Lesches were places for public gatherings in antiquity. Located not far from the Theatre, the lesche looked like a rectangular hypostyle chamber built around 5 century BC. (Hypostyle is a building with a roof supported by pillars in many rows).
It became famous because of the paintings depicting the Fall of Troy and the Odysseus Descent to Hades done by a famous artist- Polygnotus.
The column with the dancers
Column with 3 dancers and the omphalos stone (right) in Delphi. Classical period, 330 BC, Pentelic marble.
Decorated with the acanthus leaves, this base supported an 11m column with 3 dancers at its top. It’s speculated that the omphalos stone crowned the column with dancers. Their height exceeds 2m, while originally the column was around 11m high.
The Statue of Antinoos
Antinoos, closeup, Parian marble, Roman period, 130 AD, Delphi.Antinoos, Parian marble, Roman period, 130 AD, Delphi.
Antinoos was a very young and beautiful man who was a companion of Emperor Hadrian (117-138 AD). Antinoos had barely reached adulthood when he drowned in the Nile. The Emperor was devastated and ordered to make a lot of statues and monuments dedicated to the man for god-like worship, rituals, and admiration in his honor. One such sculpture was found in Delphi during the excavations. The statue was still shining because of oil used in antiquity to polish the skin. The holes in his hair served as attachments for a bronze laurel leaf wreath to crown the boy’s head. Both the presidents of the Pythian games and the priest placed this statue in the sanctuary. http://odysseus.culture.gr/h/4/eh430.jsp?obj_id=4672
I took this picture at the Archeological Museum in Delphi. It looks like a demonic sphinx figure, although it could be a gorgon.The golden griffin is on display in the Delphi museum.The Helmet Crest with a copper inlay, bronze, 5th century BCE, the Delphi MuseumThese are some of the votive offerings found in the Sacred Way area pit near the Athenian Treasury. These bronze heads are parts of three life-sized chryselephantine statues dating to the 6th century BC!Bronze incense burner: A young woman, wearing a long peplos and reticulated head-dress, holds up a hemispherical cauldron in which the incense was placed. A pierced lid covers the top of the vessel. 460-450 BC.
There are four monuments dated from classical antiquity: Lysander, Marathon, Argos and Tarantinians. Those were the monuments that pilgrims faced entering the temple of Apollo from the main entrance. A school and a small village occupied the site of the sanctuary after the 15th century AD.
The votive of Lysander or the Spartan Admirals’ votive
The Spartans created this votive in 404 B.C. dedicating it to their victory over the Athenians in the battleship at Aegos Potamoi (405 B.C.). The recording of this monument exists thanks to Pausanias and Plutarch. According to the architect Didier Laroche’s study, the votive had the form of a rectangular pedestal with 39 bronze statues. The erection of the monument is connected with the rise of the hegemony of Sparta and the decadence of Athenian democracy. Facing the Sacred Way, the front side of this monument depicted Greek military figures and gods- Dioskouri, Zeus, Apollo, Artemis, Lysander (the winner of the battleship), Ermonas (the commander of the flagship), Agias, etc. The statues located on three other sides depicted the admirals of the allied fleet, who defeated the Athenians with Lysander.
The votive of Marathon
This monument was placed on the south side of the Lysander’s monument after the Marathon battle. The votive is dated around 490 B.C. According to Pausanias, one-tenth of the spoils of the battle were used for its construction. The 15m-long, rectangular pedestal held 13 bronze statues that included the sculptures of Athena, Apollo, the general Miltiades, and ten eponymous heroes, who according to the oracle of Delphi, gave their names to the Athenian tribes. The statues are attributed to the renowned sculptor of classical antiquity- Phidias. Three more statues of the Great Alexander’s successors were added during the Hellenistic period.
The Trojan horse
After their victory against the Spartans in 414 B.C., Argos dedicated a bronze simulacrum of the Trojan Horse to commemorate their prominent victory. According to Pausanias’s description, it was a work of Antiphanes from Argos. Today, only the stone plinths of the horse’s tiered pedestal and its fastening hole on the surface of one stone are preserved.
The votive of Tarantinias
The votive depicted bronze horses and women in captivity. Dedicated to Apollo, this votive comes from the residents of Tarans. They commemorated their victory over the Messapii at the beginning of the 5th century B.C. According to Pausanias, Ageladas, who descended from Argos, created this piece. In the partially preserved pedestal, the inscription states “Taραντίνοι Ἀπόλλωνι από Μεσσαπίων [ελόντε)ς δεκάταν” “The Tarantians dedicated this to Apollo from the tenth of the spoils they seized from the Messaplans”.
Explore the must-see places on Santorini, from ancient Thera to Oia! Immerse yourself in the history, stunning views, and vibrant blue and white colors of this cinematic island.
https://youtu.be/Jx0jy5DLgIg
When we planed our trip, it was really hard to decide how much time we needed to spend on each island in Greece. Many people talked about spending a week on each one but I found that I needed 2,5 days to see everything I wanted to on Santorini without being rushed. These were long days but because I wasn’t into the beaches, boats and night life, I explored the island’s natural beauty, archeology and villages instead. Plan to spend more time here if you’re into the boat tours, wineries and beaches! Also, this island can be a challenge to visit for older folks since there is a lot of up and down action that can be hard on legs and feet.
Brief history of Santorini: an archaeological journey
Some theorize that the end of the Minoan civilization and Ancient Thera (Santorini) volcanic formation is the lost Atlantis. The first written source for the myth of Atlantis comes from the Athenian philosopher Plato (427- 437 BC) but there is little evidence that Santorini is the lost Atlantis.
The first settlers arrived to the island around 3000 BC (Neolithic Period). They named the island “Strogili,” meaning “the round one” due to its original circular shape. Santorini flourished during the Minoan era, known for their advanced civilization centered on Crete (early Bronze Age – 2000 BC). The Akrotiri settlement, preserved by volcanic ash, is a prime example of the Minoan civilization. Here, archaeologists unearthed multi-story buildings with color frescoes, advanced drainage systems, and pottery, all mirroring Minoan culture that led to speculation about the lost city of Atlantis. Personally, I find it unlikely because the Minoan art on Crete looked immature in comparison to ancient Egypt, for example. And Atlantis is said to be an advanced civilization. The Minoan culture got destroyed after a catastrophic volcanic eruption that devastated the Aegean island of Thera- also called Santorini (Late Bronze Age – 1600 BC). Thera, perched on Mesa Vouno Mountain, became the island’s central settlement (Doric Era – 9th century BC onwards). The ruins include the Sanctuary of Artemis, the Agora (marketplace), the Royal Portico, and the Gymnasium.
Ancient Thera view
6 must-see places in Santorini:
Santorini island, hike to Oia
#1. Scenic trail
We walked from Fira to Oia through a scenic trail stretching across the mountains for 6.5 miles. The views were stunning! It was the most amazing place I saw on Santorini. The hike connects the two most popular destinations on the island – Fira and Oia. These are the largest traditional villages with whitewashed houses and blue domes. Many house caves overlooked deep turquoise-blue waters of the caldera. Wear good shoes and bring water and snacks to have a comfortable, 3-hour hike. The elevation is 1,069 ft, so you may feel a bit dizzy or tired walking there.
A distant view of Oia on a hike from Fira.
#2 Ancient Thera
Situated on top of the mountain between Perissa and Kamari, Ancient Thera became the island’s central settlement. The volcanic eruption around 1600 BC reshaped the island, creating the iconic caldera and contributing to the decline of the Minoan civilization due to tsunamis. Following the eruption, Dorians from Sparta arrived around the 9th century BC, renaming the island “Thera” after their king. Today the Doric settlement is basically ruins that combines different architectural styles and epochs. All buildings were constructed of the local limestone of the mountain. By walking through the ruins located 396 m. above the sea level, you can enjoy amazing panoramic views of the island.
To get there, you can have an easy drive up to the Ancient Thera from Kamari. We had a steep climb to the top of the mountain walking from Perissa. It was quite long, difficult and unexpected but the views were fantastic!
Sanctuary of Egyptian gods:
"During the Hellenistic times, a period of great receptivity to new gods and cults, the worship of eastern and Egyptian deities is spread across the Greek territory. In Thera, the Egyptian gods Serapis, Isis and Anubis become accepted in the early 3rd century B.C. and their cult is quickly integrated into the public and private religious life of the inhabitants of the island. The cult of the Egyptian triad of gods in Thera, which, in this period, belongs to the possessions of the Ptolemies, monarchs of the Hellenistic kingdom of Egypt, is closely associated with the presence and activity on the island of a large Ptolemaic garrison. A sanctuary in honor of the Egyptian gods is founded in the first half of the 3rd century B.C. The sanctuary consisted of an unusual outdoor construction, that is a terrace, constructed mainly with artificial earth fill, the two sides of which were defined by the rocky land. We can see the rock-cut part of the sanctuary today, with niches for votive offerings on one side and a bench for the placement of cult statues on the other. Two cisterns placed next to the sanctuary provided "sacred water" the necessary for worship."
Maya Efstathiou, archaeologist.
Kouros or kouroi sculptures displayed in Athens archeological museum. Some of them came from ancient Thera. Kouros were over life-size statues of nude youths dated about to 7th century BC. All statues were found in the burials below the city.
Sanctuary of Apollo Karneios:
The Sanctuary of Apollo was a cult center erected around the 7th c. B.C. The Karneia was his annual festival. The cult of Apollo Karneios, God of the Dorians, existed in Ancient Thera in antiquity. There’s not much to see but the rocks on the ground that used to be the sanctuary with the temple, gates and other buildings. The Apollo of Thera is the best found statue dating from the 6 BCE. There was a basilica built on the ruins of the temple, around the 6th century A.D, which destroyed the the upper structure of the temple.
Other buildings:
There were other buildings and constructions in this place including the structure to worship the Egyptian gods, the theatre (the 2nd c. B.C.), the Stoa at the agora (the 3d c BC) , Gymnasium of the Ephebes, the open-air sanctuary Temenos of Artemidoros (3d c BC), and the church of Agios Stefanos- early Christian Basilica from 8th or 9th c. A.D. http://odysseus.culture.gr/h/3/eh352.jsp?obj_id=2454
There was also the public building built during the Hellenistic times but re-structured during the Roman period. There was a low stone bench with special openings along the sides of its walls. A drain, carrying water into the sewer, ensured its cleaning. The public baths were probably constructed in the mid 2nd century A.D. The baths’ floor rested on stone supports forming a hollow underground space with a burning fire. The hot air was circulating under the floor and within the pipes built into the vertical walls of the room. During the Roman times, public baths were a popular meeting place. The “exedrae”, three buildings in the form of a temple, date to the Roman times (1st-2nd c. A.D.). Built in a line, they housed statues of citizens that belonged to prominent families of Thera and were honored by the city. There are several inscribed bases of the statues with different names in existence today.
You can buy a single ticket to visit or a combined one that includes some local archeological museums.
#3 Oia
This is the largest and most beautiful village on the island that you must visit! It’s also very commercial with many shops, restaurants and activities in the area. The village is situated above a cliff at about 150 m (500 ft) elevation, overlooking the volcano and deep blue water. The views and sunsets are spectacular! The bus station is available with regular service to other parts of Santorini. Also, depending on your interest you can take an excursion boat for a trip around the island or a ferry to Therasia.
#4 Fira
Centrally located, Fira offers stunning views of the caldera with some upscale shopping, beautiful Byzantine church, and walkable alleys. We stayed in Fira, which was a short taxi drive from the airport. Later we found out that the local bus was also available to get to the village.
Fira, Santorini island
Santorini’s color scheme of white buildings and blue domes
Color scheme:
The iconic white and blue color scheme on Santorini’s buildings isn’t rooted in ancient times. It became widespread after the fall of the Greek military junta in 1974. The white reflects the Aegean sunlight, while the blue symbolizes the sea. This color combination was believed to inspire patriotism as the Greek flag is also blue and white.
Also, the white color reflects a lot of the sunlight, keeping the interiors cooler during hot summers. This was crucial before modern air conditioning. Historically, a whitewash made with lime was used to paint the buildings. Limewash has natural disinfectant properties, which may have helped combat the spread of diseases like cholera during outbreaks in the early 20th century.
The design and construction:
Many traditional Santorini dwellings are cave houses, built directly into the volcanic cliffs. This provided natural insulation and protection from the elements. The cave walls themselves are often light-colored volcanic rock, further contributing to the overall white aesthetic. Santorini’s architecture falls under the Cycladic architectural style, common throughout the Aegean islands. These buildings have cubic shapes, minimal windows, flat roofs as terraces and balconies, maximizing usable space. Building materials traditionally included volcanic rock and ash, timber and clay. While modern construction methods and materials are used today, the traditional whitewashed Cycladic style remains a defining characteristic of Santorini’s architecture.
Karterados, near Fira.
#5 Village of Megalochori
The Bell Tower of Megalochori
When you drive through the island from one major town to the next, it looks like a half-abandoned land with some distant white buildings scattered throughout fields of rock and tiny flowers. So, if you’d like to discover untouched settlements on the island, visit small villages like Akrotiri – the site of a Cycladic Bronze Age settlement or Pyrgos and Megalochori. These are not commercial, tiny villages with blue-domed Byzantine churches and whitewashed houses. Mesa Gonia or “the ghost village” is now abandoned village that used to be famous for wineries. We walked to some villages and took a bus to others. All churches were closed there for some odd reason.
Megalochori reminded me of the Tatooine from Star Wars because it was so untouched by our civilization. This village itself is a fairly short walk in a labyrinth of alleys, whitewashed houses and blue-domed churches with bell towers. The village had very few wondering tourists and some beautiful views of the caldera. There were two churches (Agios Nikolaos and Our Lady of Plaka) built into the rock there. Although there were some prehistoric settlements, the village took shape in the 17th century when wealthy merchants and land owners built the village with high walls and reinforced doors to protect themselves from pirates. It’s a place for vineries. There are two beaches- Plaka and Thermi that have no car access. It’s about 9 km away from Fira.
#6 Village of Pyrgos
Pyrgos was a monastery until the arrival of the Venetians in the 13th century. Venetians arriving on Santorini transformed the monastery into a fortified hamlet, one of five on the island, for defense against pirates. A central tower surrounded by thick and tall walls formed the heart of the settlement, with houses built tall within these walls for extra protection. A former capital of the island, Pyrgos retains a strong character of a medieval village with narrow, labyrinthine streets, remnants of fortified walls, and hidden passageways. Despite its central location on Santorini that’s about 7.5 km from Fira, Pyrgos has been relatively untouched by the extensive development and commercialization seen in other parts of the island. Although it was severely damaged like other villages in 1956 earthquake, some buildings were restored.
You can also visit Akrotiri for its museum, excavations, red beach and a small Venetian Castle of Akrotiri nearby.
Beaches:
View to the Kamari beach from Ancient Thera
While the island has many beaches, some of them are hard to get down to. Perissa and Kamari have an easy, walk-in beaches that were quite dirty and unattractive when we visited those in late April. Many people take tours to get access to the nicest beaches. Have flip flops or shoes because the sand on the beach can be really hot during summer months since the sand is a volcanic ash, rocks and pebbles. Red Beach looks secluded between the red rocks but those rocks can be very slippery in water. Secluded and wild, the Baxedes beach is dark sand and pebbles beach. I’d suggest to open the google map and see the locations of the beaches with posted pictures for you to decide which one you want to visit. Some offer snorkeling and boat tours, others umbrellas.
Some people also like fishing and winery tours. The tours around the caldera are popular but were canceled due to crazy weather conditions on our visit to Santorini.
Perissa beach
Transportation:
While it’s a very short flight from Athens to Santorini, the time you spend going through the airport’s regular process is still considerable. Also, it’s often windy on the island, so if you have motion sickness, you’ll get it flying on such a small plane. Get your medication ready to offset the problem.
Take a bus all around Santorini! Its cost is just 2-2,5 euros one-way. Taxies are pricey and not worth it. The bus system is designed for tourists in mind as they have regular schedule to all main sites on the island. You buy the ticket from a driver when you enter the bus. ATV’s are inexpensive to rent for a day or more. While they can be fun for young people to drive around the island, I think they’re too much hassle for older folks. You can also rent a car to drive around the island. There were parking lots available next to sites everywhere we went to.
Seajets offer service at many price points. We went to Crete from Santorini using the fast boat. I must say that if you feel motion sickness, even this big boat isn’t for you or you have to take medication to eliminate motion sickness. We also traveled during crazy weather period that the boat was canceled one day to travel the next, but it still was quite bumpy.
Greek Sphinx figure is riveting. Whenever I see its beautiful wings and lion’s paws, it puzzles and inspires me to create. The sphinxes look mystical, enigmatic and surreal. When I went to Greece I revived my interest in this art symbol. I’ve found that the Greek sphinxes are different from the Egyptian ones. Moreover, the Greek art has some near east influences as a similar bird-the griffin- shows up in the archeology of Greece. Let’s discover their history together to understand how ancient cultures developed, mixed and created art with various meaning and symbolism.
Sphinx from Spata, a stele crown, 570-550 BCE, this is a copy of the original displayed in the Athens National Museum. This copy is on view at the airport in Athens.
The enigmatic world of Greek sphinx: its history & artistic influences
Both griffins and sphinxes are mythical creatures that show up in the archeological museums in Greece. The Greek sphinx figure shape seems to be a combination of the Near East griffin and the Egyptian sphynx visually.
1. The Griffins of Greece
The griffin originated in the Near East and got adopted by the Greeks in art. Griffins are frequently shown as protectors or guardians. They might be flanking entrances or royal figures.
Golden figure of a griffin, Delphi archeological museum, Greece, photo: Veronica Winters.
SHAPE:The griffin has the body of a lion (sometimes winged) and the head and wings of an eagle. The griffins have a powerful stance and curled tongues.
Panel with a griffin, Byzantine art of 1250, marble, at the Met | Made for Christian use, the panel shows the mythical griffins as guardian figures of the dead, and symbols of power and authority. The panel probably comes from a tomb. According to the Met, griffins may have meant both to protect the people buried within the tomb and to symbolize their royalty status. The fleurs-de-lis on the griffin’s shoulder and haunch typify the era’s complex cultural interplay, as similar motifs are found in contemporary Islamic and Crusader depictions of animals. https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/472849Griffin figures in KnossosPalace, Crete, Greece, photo: Veronica Winters. | The fresco of high-relief Griffins tethered to columns decorated the “Great East Hall” of the palace of Knossos. The decoration of the hall also included religious emblems and representations in relief of boxing and bull-leaping games. According to Arthur Evans, this hall, located next to the “Grand Staircase”, was used for official ceremonies by the palace rulers. Knossos Palace, Neopalatial period (1600-1450 BC). Griffins in Knossos don’t look menacing, rather they appear decorative and kind.Examples of the bronze heads of griffins, Delphi archeological museum, Greece, photo: Veronica Winters.Bronze head of a griffin, Olympia, Greece, third quarter of the 7th century BCE, the Met. http://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/255367 . According to the museum’s description, bronze cauldrons were set on tripods or conical stands. Cast in bronze, griffins’ heads decorated the cauldron rims that stood in Greek sanctuaries between 8-6th centuries B.C. Some of the cauldrons were colossal as Herodotus mentions the giant cauldron made for King Kroisos of Lydia that could hold 2,700 gallons. Over six hundred similar griffins exist nowadays, with most of them found at the sanctuary of Zeus at Olympia and at one of Hera on Samos.I took this picture at the archeological museum in Delphi. It looks like a demonic sphinx figure, although it could also be a griffin or a fleeing gorgon. The facial expression and multiple hands remind me of the Indian gods as well. There were several golden plaques like this one in the museum, showing these demonic creatures. Mythological creatures like gorgons and sphinxes often functioned as apotropaic images (had the power to avert evil or bad luck) that protected the grave.
2. The Egyptian Sphinxes
The Sphinx of Tanis, Louvre, photo: Veronica WintersThis is the Egyptian statue of a lion I saw displayed in the Vatican museums. photo: Veronica Winters
SHAPE: The Egyptian sphinx is a creature with a lion’s body and a human (male) head. The Egyptian sphinx typically possesses a pharaoh’s face, blurring the lines between the human and the divine to symbolize the enduring power of the ruler. Egyptian sphinxes had no bird features and were associated with protection and power.
The Sphinx of Tanis, 2620-1866 , the Louvre, Département des Antiquités égyptiennes, A 23 – https://collections.louvre.fr/ark:/53355/cl010010062 – https://collections.louvre.fr/CGUThe Sphinx of Tanis, 2620-1866, Height: 183 cm; Length: 480cm; Width: 154 cm, pink granite, place of discovery: Tanis, currently displayed in the Louvre. Sphinx de Tanis, du Louvre, Département des Antiquités égyptiennes, A 23 – https://collections.louvre.fr/ark:/53355/cl010010062 – https://collections.louvre.fr/CGU
These figures served as guardians of the dead, often flanking tombs or standing watch at temples. Over time, the sphinx evolved as a concept, with variations featuring the head of a ram or a falcon depending on the specific deity being honored. Egyptian sphinxes were primarily crafted from limestone but granite was also used to carve detailed figures.
Sphinx of Hatshepsut, New Kingdom, 1479–1458 B.C. the Met, NY. It was one of at least six granite sphinxes that stood in Hatshepsut’s mortuary temple at Deir el-Bahri. http://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/544442Seals found in Knossos palace, Crete, photo: Veronica Winters. SEALS: Egyptian scarabs and seals with scenes rendered in the typical naturalistic style of the Neo palatial and Final Palatial periods (1650-1350 BC). Many scenes with animals like wild goats, bulls, lions and caprids were popular depictions of the natural world. A distinctive example is the rare gold seal depicting a barking guard dog sitting on a garden enclosure. The seals’ craftsmanship reaches technical and aesthetic perfection. Artists used semiprecious stones- sard, cornelian, agate, amethyst, jasper, rock crystal, hematite, sardonyx, chalcedony, lapis and bronze tools – small chisels, burins, drills and polishing materials. The hole was made before the final engraving. Many tools, raw materials, unfinished, broken seals and processing debris of the seal-carvers’ workshops have been found at Poros, the harbor-town of Knossos.These are various Greek figures created in the Egyptian style I saw in Greece. Look at the awkward anatomy of these figures. It seems to me that the Greeks were inspired by the Egyptian art but learning the human anatomy and proportion took time to master. From left to right: Egyptian-style figures (Athens); Archaic period figures, 7th century BC (Heraklion, Crete), Egyptian-style figure (Eleusis), and the 6th-century BC statues displayed in Delphi from the temple of Apollo. By looking at these sculptures as an example we can say that the ancient Greek art was strongly influenced by the Egyptian art.
3. The Assyrian Sphinxes
These are the examples of the Assyrian sphinxes I found on the website of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Although they have the sphinx shape, their heads can vary.
Openwork furniture plaque with a striding ram-headed sphinx, Assyrian, 9 BCE, the Met. NY. http://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/325666Plaque with a striding sphinx, Assyrian, 8 BCE, the Met, NYThe British Museum, London. Photo: V.WintersGolden Bracelet with the image of winged griffin, The British Museum, London. Photo: V.Winters
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The Greek Sphinx emerges: history & symbolism
SHAPE: The sphinx was a mythical being with the body of a lion, the wings of an eagle, and the head of a woman. Some could have a long tail. Sphinxes are depicted in a seated position, often with a strange smile and facial features resembling ancient near eastern art.
The Greeks adapted the sphinx concept (guardians of the dead) from Egypt through trade and cultural contacts. Greek sphinxes appeared before the 12th century BCE. After a hiatus of about 400 years, the sphinx reappeared in Greek art around the 8th century BCE. It appeared on coins, pottery, and funerary monuments as grave stelai.
Grave Stele
GRAVE STELE or STELAI, 600-500 BC. Greece. Photo: Veronica Winters. Below you’ll find a museum’s description that I’ve adapted for better reading experience in English.
Funerary monuments appeared on the graves of important people starting from the Mycenaean period. Such example is the discovery of the stelai in the Grave Circle A at Mycenae, Greece. There is little information available on the early Geometric period in Greece based on today’s research. There’s more archeological information available dating from the late Geometric period. The excavations in Attica region (Athens) revealed the findings of large vases, amphoras and crates that depicted the mourning scenes and other epiphora of the dead that functioned as the funerary monuments. Grave marks were small, plain stones during that time period.
From the end of the 7th century B.C. the tombs got marked with a monumental stele, which was either incised, painted or done in relief. The early grave markers were tall and narrow. One side of it represented the deceased. They were crowned by a finial in the shape of a concave molding, influenced by the Egyptian art. In the first quarter of the 6th century BC, the finial was low. Later, it became taller and more elaborate with incised or relief decorations with leaves, rosettes, guilloche, lotuses and rare human figures. The finial toped the demonic figure of a sphinx, the guardian of a tomb. Around 550 BC, the form of the finial becomes even more elaborate with double volutes that assume the shape of an inverted lyre. The Sphinx remains the principal element of the crowning. This stele type dominates Greece until about 525BC.
Around 530 B.C, the overall form of the stele changes again. It becomes lower and narrower, and the Sphinx usually placed on the finial gets replaced by two single or double volutes with the Anthemion (design consisting of a number of radiating petals), influenced by the Ionian and Egyptian art. Many of these grave markers had a painted decoration representing the deceased and various animals like horses, roosters, dogs, etc. The name of the dead appeared written in the possessive case at the bottom of the stele or on its base.
The largest and most important group of the Archaic funerary steles comes from Attica with representations of athletes and warriors. It’s rare to find other figures depicted on steles. Besides Attica, other places manufactured the grave markers in Greece. The grave steles were smaller found in the Aegean islands and Ionia. In the 6th century, they were also crowned with the anthemion and showed various figures, such as the youth, young women, children or elderly men. The islands, lonia and other areas of Greece produced grave steles without interruption. In Attica, however, the production of funerary stones ceases around 6th century BC. Possibly after a prohibition by Kleisthenes aiming at curtailing the use of luxurious memorials. The reintroduction of the funerary monuments in Athens takes place during the Peloponnesian War around 430-420 BC.Marble grave stele of Antigenes with a painted figure (not incised or done in relief), 6th century BC, the MetMarble stele, grave marker of a hoplite foot soldier, 525 BCE, the Met
The Anthemion shape
These are the examples of the Anthemion shape flower I found in several archeological museums of Greece. These vases and other fragments vary in dates.Marble stele (grave marker) with a youth and little girl, and a capital and finial in the form of a sphinx, Greek, Attic, ca. 530 BCE, the MET. 13 feet high. “The youth on the shaft is shown as an athlete, with an aryballos (oil flask) suspended from his wrist. Athletics were an important part of every boy’s education, and oil was used as a cleanser after exercise. He holds a pomegranate—a fruit associated with both fecundity and death in Greek myths—perhaps indicating that he had reached puberty before his death. The little girl, presumably a younger sister, holds a flower. The sphinx crowned a funerary stele as a symbolic protector for the deceased Megakles from the powerful clan of the Alkmeonidai.” The monument stood in Attica (the region around Athens) where people could see it from a great distance. http://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/248500Marble stele (grave marker) with finial in the form of a sphinx, Greek, Attic, ca. 530 BCE, the Met, NY.ATTIC FUNERARY MONUMENTS
The reappearance of private funerary monuments in Attica in the first decade of the Peloponnesian War (431-404 BC), after a long hiatus that began with the prohibitive law of Kleisthenes, is associated with the destructive effect of the plague that broke out in Athens in the beginning of the great war with Sparta. Full of fear and sorrow, the Athenians cremated their dead in masses, in an attempt to limit the fast spreading of the plague that lasted until 425 BC. Perikles himself was among the victims of the deadly illness. The political and economic upheaval brought about by the war and the concomitant changes in the population’s moral and religious beliefs as a result of the plague strengthened the conservative powers, which succeeded in restoring the ancient custom of erecting private memorials. This practice lasted until 317 or 307 BC, when the erection of luxurious funerary monuments ceased again, after a law issued by Demetrius of Phaleron. In contrast to the Archaic period, in the Classical period statues are uncommon as funerary monuments. Their place is taken by grave stelai and marble funerary vases. The form and decoration of funerary monuments varies according to the sex, age, social class and origin of the dead. Towards the end of the fifth century BC, grave reliefs adorn primarily the graves of women, youths and children. On the contrary, memorials for male citizens are mostly plain; they give emphasis on the personal name of the dead, the name of their father as well as that of their deme of origin, which indicates their civil rights. Memorials for foreigners record their personal and ethnic names, whereas those for slaves provide only their personal name. In the numerous cemeteries of the city and the coastal and inland demes of Attica, the large grave plots of prominent families point to the importance acquired in this period by the family a fact also indicated by contemporary drama. The center of the plot is occupied by a tall stele crowned by an anthemion and decorated only with rosettes. The stele lists the names of the family dead in succession and is framed by other monuments -stelai, gravestones in the shape of naiskoi, and marble funerary vases decorated in relief or in paint. The commonest theme is the so-called dexiosis, where the dead is shown in handshake with his or her kin. Another typical theme is the representation of the dead man with his young attendant, or the dead woman with her maid. Children are depicted with their pets and toys. The Athenians selected a marble funerary loutrophoros for youthful, unmarried dead, symbolically offering them a nuptial bath. Characteristic of Classical funerary imagery are the idealistic rendering of the dead with controlled emotions, and the avoidance of immediate references to death. An exception is formed by the dead in war, women who died in childbirth, as well as foreigners. Differences are observed in the imagery of marble vases, which are influenced by the sepulchral themes of white-ground lekythoi.
TheNaxian Sphinx
The base of the giant Naxian Sphinx, marble, Halos, Delphi. Photo: Veronica Winters.
The colossal Naxian Sphinx stood on a 12-meter high ionic column in ancient Greece. Today the giant sphinx is on display at the Museum of Delphi. Mentioned in the myth of Oedipus, the Sphinxes were linked to the primitive cults. They were considered to be the guardians of tombs and sanctuaries placed as funerary monuments and votive offerings. A highly popular image in ancient Greece, the demonic Sphinx was a loan from the East to ancient Greek art. This colossal statue of the Sphinx of Delphi was offered by the Naxians in the 6th century BC.The giant Naxian Sphinx in the Halos, Delphi: The Naxian Sphinx got created around 560 BC, preceding the construction of the Siphnian treasury – a building at the Ancient Greek cult center of Delphi, in which the priests hosted the offerings from the city of Siphnos. The building stood on the “Sacred Way” road going through the Sanctuary of Apollo.
Naxos, a wealthy island of the Cyclades, sent a gigantic offering to the Sanctuary of Apollo of Delphi – the statue of the mythical Sphinx. Its colossal size, imposing appearance and location in the sanctuary (near the rock of Sibylla -the Sibyl rock-and in the foreground of the polygonal retaining wall of the temple) commemorated political and artistic supremacy of Naxos in the Archaic era. This demonic creature with the female face and enigmatic smile was supposed to be warding off the evil. Placed on the capital of a 12.50m tall ionic column, the sphinx became the oldest element in the ionic order in Delphi.
Carved from a huge Naxian marble block, the Sphinx shows solid structure with beautiful rendering of the hair, chest and wings, giving the impression of lightness. Dated to the 4th century BC, the incised inscription on the column’s base states that the priests of Apollo honored the people of Naxos with the privilege of promanteia, that is, priority in receiving an oracle.Close up views of the giant Naxian Sphinx figure in Delphi, photo: V.WintersLimestone funerary stele shaft surmounted by 2 sphinxes, Cypriot, 5th century BCE, the Met, NY. http://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/242050Beautiful views of a limestone statue of a Greek sphinx, 550 BCE, the Met, NY. http://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/254504
What does the Greek Sphinx mean? A lot of ancient Greek sphinxes are found as grave offerings in tombs, funerary monuments and sacred vessels in palaces. While the meaning of a Greek sphinx appearing on an ancient vase can probably vary some, most of the monuments seem to be connected to the world of the dead. The demonic creature was supposed to be warding off the evil, being the guardian of tombs and sanctuaries placed as funerary monuments.
For example, the Spata Sphinx is one of the most beautiful, well-preserved Greek sphinxes seen in Athens today.
Originally found in the Athens airport area, the Statue of a Sphinx was erected as finial of a grave stele in Attica. One of the earliest known Archaic Sphinxes, it was made of a Pentelic marble around 570 B.С.
“A series of vases of the early and late Geometric period (9th-8th Century B.C.) came from a cemetery at the northern area of the airport. These were the first artefacts to inform us about the inhabitants of the land of that period. A network of dirt roads ran next to a cemetery, which crisscrossed fields, olive groves, vineyards, and linked the rural communities of the Attica. The family tombs of local aristocracy, who owned the best land in the area, dotted the landscape in the 6th century B.C. Powerful “Spata Sphinx,” now in the National Archaeological Museum in Athens, belonged to one of such luxury funerary monuments. A replica of this sphinx is exhibited at the airport’s museum.”Limestone funerary stele with antithetical sphinxes, Cypriot, 450 century BCE, the Met, NY. http://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/242406
The Greeks placed the statues of a Sphinx as finial of a grave stele or as luxury grave monuments to be the guardians of the dead, similar to how sphinxes were viewed in Egypt. The Greek sphinx was also associated with riddles and challenges, as seen in the myth of Oedipus. The demonic statues were also decorative elements in small vases and perfume boxes.
Here are some Sphinxes and Griffins incised on tombs’ decorations I saw in Eleusis, Greece. Eleusis was an important ancient Greek cult center that got destroyed with the rise of Christianity.
Ancient Greek Vessels showing the statue of a Sphinx:
Black-figure Amphora showing the sphinx figure (Storage Vessel): Attributed to the Phineus Painter South Italian or Greek, “Chalcidian” (probably made in Rhegium [modern Reggio Calabria], South Italy), ca. 520-510 BC, Ceramic. Tampa Museum of Art, US. Photo: V. Winters This elegant, large sphinx is painted in the shape and “Chalcidian” painting style of black-figure vases. The name of this style comes from the Greek town of Chalcis but thought by many scholars to have been produced in South Italy.A Greek vase showing two sphinxes, photo: V. WintersLarge Sphinx figure is painted on a vase exhibited in Eleusis, the cult center. In the 7th century, the population of Eleusis declined, probably due to drought and famine. With high child mortality, the majority of the burials consisted of infants and toddlers buried in jars. This amphora depicting a winged sphinx was used for a toddler burial. Archaic artisans were experimenting with new decorative patterns and techniques coming from the East. Note the optical illusion on the neck of the vessel! The opposing heads of the panther and the lion create a face that stares right at us.Terracotta stand, Greek, Attic, ca. 520 BCE, On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 157.
A lot of Attic pottery was manufactured and exported to Etruria. “Indigenous Etruscan shapes were reinterpreted in Athenian workshops; the Hellenized variants then sold to Etruscan patrons in the west and often buried in their tombs. The Etruscan prototypes generally exist in the sturdy black ware called bucchero. This pair of stands represents the phenomenon of adaptation with a shape unique in Attic vase-painting. They probably held floral or vegetal offerings.” https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/255195Ancient Greek vase with two sphinxes, photo: V. WintersAncient Greek vase with some sphinxes and animals, photo: V. Winters.
Similar designs on a pottery can be seen at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Terracotta dinos, 630 BCE, the Met, NY. http://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/256846Terracotta pyxis, cosmetic box, Greek, 550 BCE, the Met, NY http://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/239949
Color
A fragment of a colored wing I saw in the Athens archeological museum.
Color: “Polychromy” means “many colors” in Greek. Artists painted the statues of the sphinx figures and other sculptures using very bright colors including blue (azurite) and red. Traces of hues are left on the archaic limestone sphinxes dating from the early 6th century BCE. The sphinx displayed at the Met shows traces of cinnabar red, yellow ochre, carbon-based black, and blue pigments. According to the researchers at the Met, they identified 2 blue pigments – Egyptian blue (synthetic color developed in Egypt in the Late Bronze Age) and Azurite blue. Expensive Cinnabar Red was imported from Iberia (Spain). Red ochre was made of hematite.
These are the colors used in ancient Greece to color their monuments as as seen in the archeological museum in Athens. The display shows the original pigments coming from various regions beyond Greece itself. Fragments of a white stone show colored wings dated at 570 BC! Lapis (blue color) consists of many minerals, mainly lazurite from Afghanistan. Conichalcite (green), Malachite & Azurite pigments come from the Laurion mines. White comes from Western Melos Island and consist of kaolinite, alunite, titanium dioxide. Ochre (yellow) comes from the copper mine in Cyprus and consists of jarosite. Red hematite mixed with iron hydroxides comes from the islands in Greece. There is a display of synthetic pigments- white and blue. Lead white is cerussite+ hydrocerussite. The Egyptian blue is marble powder+ quartz+ copper + alkali cooked at 860 degrees Celsius.
Other popular materials:
Ivory Elephant ivory: this raw material and the Hippopotamus ivory (also in use during the Mycenean era) came from Near East & Egypt. Elephant ivory was reserved for large and expensive art pieces. In the palatial period (14th-13th centuries BC), artisans worked ivory in specialized workshops to make luxury objects, like the elaborate male or female figurines made for religious purposes, jewelry boxes, ivory handles for bronze mirrors, combs and musical instruments. They also produced massive amounts of ivory plaques-inlays in luxury furniture (beds, chairs, footstools) and even the chariot parts. Groups of plaques were in the shape of bull heads, figure-of-eight shields, columns, lilies or ivy leaves. According to the Linear B texts, ivory had inlays with gold, silver or kyanos (blue glass). Ivory objects or plaques depicted the human figures, griffins, sphinxes or animals in relief. Rosettes, half-rosettes or spirals had the decorative intent.
The figure of a small sphinx, Mykines, photo: Veronica Winters
Miniature art in bronze and gold:
Minoan miniature metal sphinxes (525-500 BC & 475-450BC) and pomegranate (6th BCE), Heraklion, Crete.
During the Neo palatial period, Minoan artists specialized in miniature art, producing works in gold and ivory plaques and mold-cast inlays in vitreous materials such as faience and glass paste. Their artistic motifs included images of nature and sacred symbols (like the double axe and the seated ivory child from Palaikastro). The arms of a figurines have traces of the veins showing artistic precision captured in miniature art.Bronze statuette of a sphinx, Greek, 5th century BCE, the Met http://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/256231This is one of the bronze vessels I saw in the museum in Athens. The vase shows strong Egyptian influences in art depicting the sphinxes, figures and animals.Bronze vase handle in a shape of a sphinx figure.Bronze mirror with a sphinx figure, photo: Veronica WintersBronze mirror with a winged figure, photo: Veronica WintersBronze mirror supported by a female figure with two sphinxes, 520 BC. photo: Veronica WintersGold earring with a sphinx, Greek, 4th century BCE, the Met Gold pendant in the form of a sphinx, Greek, 5th century BCE, the Met, NY.
Oedipus and the SphinxMythology:
Two-handled jar (amphora) depicting Oedipus and the Sphinx of Thebes, the Achilles Painter, Greek, Classical Period, 450–440 B.C, Place of Manufacture: Greece, Attica, Athens, on view at Museum of Fine Arts Boston.
Embodying danger, destruction, and riddles, the most famous Greek sphinx is the one guarding Thebes in the story of Oedipus. This sphinx presented a deadly riddle to travelers, devouring those who couldn't answer it. No one could until the day Oedipus showed up. The riddle: "What is that which has one voice and yet becomes four-footed, two-footed, and three-footed?" Oedipus gives the answer that it's a man. He's four-footed as a baby. He walks on two feet as an adult and gets the third foot- a cane when he gets old.
Oedipus, king of Thebes, is a classic Greek tragedy of fate and free will.
A Doomed Prophecy: King Laius and Queen Jocasta of Thebes learn from an oracle that their son will kill Laius and marry Jocasta. Horrified, they try to prevent this by piercing the infant’s ankles (hence the name “Oedipus,” meaning “swollen foot”) and abandoning him on a mountain.
Twist of Fate: A shepherd finds the baby and takes him to the king and queen of Corinth, who raise him as their own.
Fleeing Fate: Years later, Oedipus consults an oracle and receives the same chilling prophecy – he will kill his father and marry his mother. Believing his Corinthian parents to be his true ones, he flees Corinth to escape this fate.
Unknowingly Fulfilling the Prophecy: On his journey, Oedipus gets into an argument with an older man (Laius) at a crossroads and unknowingly kills him. He then arrives at Thebes, where the city is plagued by the Sphinx, a creature who devours travelers who cannot answer her riddle. Oedipus solves the riddle, defeating the Sphinx.
Reward and Unwitting Marriage: As a reward, Oedipus is declared the new king and marries the widowed queen – Jocasta, his biological mother, thus unknowingly committing the sin of incest. They have children together.
Unraveling the Truth: A plague falls upon Thebes. Seeking the cause, Oedipus uncovers the truth of his past through a series of revelations, including a blind prophet and a shepherd.
Tragic Consequences: Realizing the horror of his actions, Jocasta takes her own life and Oedipus, in despair, blinds himself. He is ultimately exiled from Thebes, condemned to wander with his daughters as his guides.
Attic cup: Oedipus and the Sphinx, interior of an Attic red-figured kylix (cup or drinking vessel), c. 470 BCE; in the Gregorian Etruscan Museum, the Vatican Museums, Rome.
The tragic end of Oedipus, when the truth was revealed, served as the ultimate lesson in Delphic theology. It means that all humans should live a life of virtue, knowing that their fate has been predetermined by the gods. This is something that even Socrates, the wisest of men according to Pythian Apollo, admitted in Plato’s Apology, just before meeting his own end.
The Oracle; Camillo Miola (Biacca) (Italian (Neapolitan), 1840 – 1919); 1880; Oil on canvas; 108 x 142.9 cm (42 1/2 x 56 1/4 in.); The J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles has a painting called The Oracle by Camillo Miola (Biacca), 42x56in, 1880 that depicts the Oracle of Delphi chosen by Apollo-the Pythia. The painting includes the omphalos, a sacred object at Delphi that was considered the center of the world. The ancient Greeks consulted the Delphic Oracle as she spoke the truth channeling prophecies coming from God Apollo.
The story explores themes of fate versus free will, the power of knowledge and self-discovery, and the devastating consequences of defying the gods’ will. The sphinx mythology remained a popular motif in Greek art and literature for centuries and was revived in the 19th-century European art. The examples of which I’m including below.
Oedipus and the Sphinx, Gustave Moreau, French,1864, The Met. The legendary Greek prince Oedipus confronts the malevolent Sphinx, who torments travelers with a riddle, remains of which who answered incorrectly litter the foreground: “What creature walks on four legs in the morning, two legs at noon, and three legs in the evening?” (The solution is the human, who crawls as a baby, strides upright in maturity, and uses a cane in old age.)
Moreau exhibited this painting at the Paris Salon of 1864. Despite the emergence of new painting ideas and style in art at that time, the artist focused on painting surreal, mythological, and imaginary stories. His mystical art inspired many artists, including Odilon Redon and Oscar Wilde.Oedipus and the Sphinx, Gustave Moreau, French,1864, The Met. Closeup. The Silent Councillor from the Portfolio, engraving done after painting by Tadema http://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/668073Ingres, Oedipus and the Sphinx, 1864, the Walters Museum of Art. and Ingres in The National Gallery, 1826, London. Ingres painted the story of Oedipus several times refining composition and even reversing the figures in a mirror-like image. One of the paintings is in The National Gallery, London and a reversed one is in The Walters Art Museum. Can you see the difference? 🙂 The London one looks like a developed sketch but not a finished painting. There’s also another (finished) painting on view in the Louvre dated to 1808.Claude Ferdinand Gaillard, engraving done after Ingres, the Met, NY.
This black-and-white image is an engraving – a form of printmaking that allowed to make hand-pulled copies of art for mass distribution. Printmakers usually made engravings of famous paintings thus giving them a much wider reach.Scottish National Gallery, a closeup of a painting depicting a golden chair with a sphinx figure.
Conclusion
When I decide to write an article about any subject, it quickly spirals into a rabbit hole of endless information. While I start with my basic knowledge on the subject, it becomes an extensive research based on my travel photography, books and descriptions at the art museums. I hope you enjoyed reading about the origins and artistic development of this enigmatic sphinx figure that will inspire you to both create and share this article with your friends!
References: While most of my writing is based on my trip to Greece where I took pictures of descriptions and art in the archeological museums and sites in Athens, Heraklion, Mycenae, Delphi, etc, I also found beautiful images and descriptions on the Met website that I included throughout the article. Main links are below:
While I’m not religious, I find that holy Meteora in Greece is a truly fantastic place on Earth. When you step inside a monastery and walk up to its iconostasis you get a feeling that can’t be described or shown in pictures. Rebuilt walls of ancient churches hold enigmatic power and spirituality I haven’t seen or felt anywhere else. Floating in the air, Meteora is a group of 6 monasteries of various size that provide shelter to monks, religious art and spirit. Stunning views from and to the monasteries are everywhere along the road leading to the top. Located about 5-6 hours away from Athens, Greece, it’s a must-see attraction.
Modern historians use the term Byzantine Empire to distinguish the state from the western portion of the Roman Empire. The empire was centered on Constantinople, the capital city of the Byzantine Empire and the rebuilt version of Byzantium that was oriented towards Greek culture with Orthodox Christianity.
Meteoro means “suspended in the air” since all these monasteries got built on top of steep rock cliffs.
What is the history of Meteora and its monasteries in Greece?
Early Hermit Life (10th-14th Centuries):
The dramatic rock formations of Meteora first attracted monks seeking solitude around the 10th century.
These early ascetics lived in caves scattered throughout the cliffs.
Monastery Establishment (14th-16th Centuries):
The 14th century marked a shift. Saint Athanasios founded the Great Meteoron Monastery, the first of the large, perched monasteries, around 1340.
Other monasteries followed throughout the 14th-16th centuries, fueled by a growing monastic movement and the desire for security against Ottoman invasions.
Building these monasteries on such heights posed a challenge. Monks used elaborate techniques involving scaffolding, nets, and winches to hoist materials and themselves up the cliffs.
Golden Age and Decline (16th-17th Centuries):
The 16th and early 17th centuries were a golden age for Meteora. Post-Byzantine Monasteries, including Varlaam, Rousanou, and Prodromos, appeared.
The monasteries flourished, becoming centers of learning, religious art, and cultural preservation.
Many of the monasteries’ beautiful frescoes and architectural features date from this period.
However, by the 17th century it declined. Attacks by bandits and changing political landscapes took a toll on Meteora.
Modern Day:
Today, only six of the original 24 monasteries remain active.
These monasteries are UNESCO World Heritage Sites and major tourist attraction in Greece.
Visitors can marvel at the breathtaking clifftop setting, explore the monasteries’ history and religious art, and experience a glimpse of monastic life.
THE MONASTIC CENTER OF THE HOLY METEORA
Holy Meteoro, the stone city of Stagoi, is the largest and most important monastic center in Greece after mount Athos. This otherworldly city of rocks sits at about 4000 meters high. The first monks built the monasteries of the Holy Meteora with hard labor and passion, which exists at the crossroads of faith, civilization and history. The exceptional combination of natural beauty and monastic architecture attracts tourists and believers alike. This unique monastic center became the World Heritage Site in 1988. Holy Meteora has also been declared as the archeological site and receives protection of the antiquities from the European legislation. It also has a wild bird protection status. Meteora’s religious status and its center is protected by the Greek law that declares it as a sacred place.
The founder of the first monastery of Transfiguration – St. Athanasios named the place ‘Meteoron’ to describe the ‘Broad Rock’, the pinnacle of which he was the first to climb in 1343/4 AD. This term literally means ‘suspended in the air.’ Earthly monks created and lived beyond worldly standards in space “between the sky and earth.”
Geological Formation of the Rocks:
The most probable theory of the rocks formation is the result of a cone-shaped delta. Giant rocks, sand and sediment were carried by a river and deposited in the ancient lake of Thessaly. The river entered the sea near now present Kalambaka over 25 million years ago. When the water flowed into the Aegean Sea, following the separation of the Mount Olympus from the Mount Ossa, this cone-shaped delta eroded further because of the earthquakes, wind and heavy rainfall. It split to form cave-like rocks and hills of various shapes to create the spectacular landscape of the ‘rocky forest.’
Holy Meteora Monasticism over the centuries:
The first monks of the holy Meteora appeared as cave-dwelling ascetics in the 11th century. Steep peaks of god-created rocks became heavenly invitation to the monks to practice their faith and spirituality. At first, they created small places for prayer in caves where they lived as hermits. Eventually, they established ascetic lifestyle and a holy place. In the 12th century, they formed a monastic community with regular prayer on Sundays. The following years, the monks ascended the higher rocks using stakes and ropes. Over the centuries they established 41 monasteries and hermitages in Meteora.
Today, there are 6 monasteries with organized monastic communities, which are:
Megalo Meteoro Monastery – Monastery of Transfiguration
Varlaam or All Saints Monastery
Agios Nikolas Anapafsas Monastery or St. Nicholas Anapafsas
Rousanau Monastery or St Barbara’s Monastery
Agia Triada Monastery or the Holy Trinity Monastery
Agios Stefanos Monastery or St Stephan Monastery
Because of time, wars, bandits, most of the monasteries were either abandoned or destroyed. Over the last fifty years, the restoration program re-established these monasteries. It’s been a lot of architectural reconstruction, preservation of frescoes, and other work to preserve this monastic center today.
Monks
A monk changes his name during his tonsure and wears a robe. He leads an ascetic life either in solitude or in a coenobium (a monastery). He constantly exercises his faith and prays, fighting for the absolution and salvation of his soul and his union with God.
Vows – are virtues. Every monk makes three vows to God: Vow of obedience: Obedience is imperative since the monk is struggling to dispose of the deep passion of ambition and to reach humility through this effort. Vow of chastity: There is a distinction between physical and mental chastity and it heals sensuality. The monastic chastity-virginity does not signify the renouncement of marriage, which is blessed by God and the Church, but unconditional love towards God. Vow of poverty: The monk must fight against the “passion of ownership” or greed, the “love of money” or avarice and material possessions.
The value of monasticism at the Holy Meteora over the centuries:
The monks’ love of God and their zeal for the monasticism and asceticism formed the impetus for this miraculous lifestyle. Monasticism is the highest calling and path that leads to holiness. It’s the complete devotion to the triune God. It is the imitation of the angels in the divine love. The entire monk’s life consists of a full opening of the heart to God and his total obedience to His Holy Will, keeping his commandments. It’s about constant strive for sanctification and prayer for the salvation of the entire world. Whether working, studying or praying, the monk cries out in a prayer, “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy upon us.”
The monastic community welcomes visitors as they preserve their spiritual site. However, their primary purpose is to offer a living witness of Christ when people loose their sense of national and religious identity and experience economic and spiritual crisis. The monks strive to preserve this precious legacy of faith and tradition.
Below you’ll find some texts and explanations of the Orthodox religion, symbolism and history that I took from the grounds of 6 monasteries across Meteora and modified those texts for better reading experience.
THE ORTHODOX CHURCH AND ITS SYMBOLISM
The Orthodox Church is a visual symbol of Him whom human eyes cannot see; it is a miniature of the world, it is a "microcosm" which symbolizes the visible and invisible world. It is a sacramental locus par excellence, which symbolizes and realizes the relationship with heaven. It is an image of the world and in particular of the Triune God, since God is everywhere and above all.
Since it depicts the Triune God, it is divided into three parts:
The most sacred Sanctuary is the model of heavens. The throne of the immaterial God is symbolized by theHoly Altar. The heavenly powers are found at the Holy Altar and in heaven, symbolized by the priests and the Bishop -the image of Christ.
The nave represents the invisible, heavenly world (Angels, Prophets, Apostles, heavenly Divine Liturgy) in its upper level and the visible world in its lower level.
The narthex is the first level of the church’s structure intended for the preparation for the Holy Baptism and the penitents. Today, some of our Church services are held in the narthex. Whenever there are catechumens, it is used for their instruction in faith.
The cupola is at the exact center of the church and it symbolizes heaven. Christ, the The Lord of the Universe, is depicted on it. Just as He did on the Cross, the Lord has stretched out His arms embracing the whole world. He united “what was once fractured”, so that in every Orthodox Church we find ourselves not before Christ, but actually with Him. We are His limbs, His body; we are in His embrace.
According to the Orthodox iconography, as we are looking downwards from the cupola, we see the celestial angels and the heavenly Divine Liturgy, and then the Prophets, who foresaw the Incarnation of our Lord. Next, we see the Apostles, who bore witness to His First Coming to the world, the events of our Christ’s life on earth, His parables and His miracles. We see glorified saints at the lowest level. They became our powerful protectors and intercessors to our Heavenly King Jesus Christ as well as our safe guides to the path of salvation.
In the Orthodox Church, the believer transcends the place and time of this temporal world. While being on earth he partakes heaven. He communes with the celestial, while living in this material world. He foretastes the eternity while working within earthly time limits.
The most joyful event of all human history, that is the victory of life over death after the glorious Resurrection of Christ, is experienced inside the church. The Orthodox Church is the Church of the Resurrection, because it lives and experiences the actual fact of the Resurrection continuously. Orthodox life is a constant Easter!
In the Icon painting we see the life of incorruption and an expression of the transcendental reality of the Church either through the depictions of the Resurrection or the images of Saints. The believers feel this spiritual elevation and experience graceful joy of the victory over death and corruption. This way, they leave this earthly life to be in the eternal Kingdom of God.
The Talanton
Fulfilling God’s commandment, Noah made a signal with a plank of wood for animals to get into the Ark to be saved from the cataclysm. “the Talan-ton” signals the time for the Holy Services to gather the faithful to get into the “New Holy Ark, Christ’s Church, and be saved from the cataclysm of sin.
The Katholikon
“Katholikon” refers to the principal church building within a monastery. This church serves as the central place of worship for the monastic community. It’s equivalent to a conventual church in Western Christianity. In some cases, “katholikon” refers to the main church of a diocese, similar to a cathedral in the Western Christian tradition. This church would be the seat of the bishop who oversees the diocese.
The narthex of the katholikon
The narthex of the katholikon, within the Eastern Orthodox Church, refers to the entrance vestibule or hallway of the main church building in a monastery (the katholikon). The narthex is typically situated at the western end (entrance side) of the katholikon and serves as a transitional space between the outside world and the sacred space of the church interior. The narthex concept originated in early Christian basilicas and was adopted by Byzantine churches. Today, the narthex in a monastery katholikon functions as an entrance space for visitors.
Historically, it was:
Welcoming Area: The narthex provided a space for newcomers or those not yet full members of the church community to gather and participate in some aspects of the service.
Instructional Space: In some cases, the narthex might have been used for religious instruction or announcements.
Penitential Space: Those undergoing penance or temporary exclusion from the main church service might wait in the narthex.
Decoration: While the main church interior (nave) is usually more richly decorated with religious imagery, the narthex might have some frescoes or icons as well. These could depict scenes from the Bible or stories of saints.
THE ORHTODOX ΒΥΖΑΝΤΙΝΕ PAINTING
The Eastern Orthodox Church and Byzantine art:
The Eastern Orthodox Church and Byzantine art emerged around the same period, with roots in the Roman Empire and early Christianity. Both the Eastern Orthodox Church and Byzantine art did not have a single origin point. They developed within the Eastern Roman Empire, which encompassed parts of the Near East, North Africa, and southeastern Europe. Major cities like Constantinople, Thessaloniki, and Athens were important centers for the Eastern Orthodox Church and Byzantine artistic production. Artistic styles and theological ideas flowed throughout the Eastern Roman Empire, with regional variations emerging over time. The Eastern Orthodox Church and Byzantine art continued to evolve after the 11th century, even after the fall of Constantinople.
Ancient book of manuscripts displayed at the museum in Holy Meteora
Eastern Orthodox Church: The Great Schism of 1054 AD formally separated the Eastern and Western Churches. However, the Eastern Orthodox Church had been developing differences for centuries before that. Roughly, the Eastern Orthodox Church can be considered established by the 5th or 6th century AD.
The Great Schism, also known as the East-West Schism, refers to the formal separation of the Christian Church into two branches: the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church. This split occurred in 1054 AD, but tensions and disagreements had been simmering for centuries before that. There were theological, political and cultural differences that led to the divide.
Theological Differences: A major point of contention was the Filioque clause, which Catholics added to the Nicene Creed. This clause states that the Holy Spirit proceeds from both the Father and the Son, while the Eastern Orthodox Church believed the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father alone. Papal Supremacy: The Eastern Church grew increasingly wary of the growing authority of the Pope in Rome. The Eastern Church leaders favored a more decentralized structure with power shared among patriarchs of different regions. Clerical Practices: Disagreements existed over practices like the use of unleavened bread for communion (preferred by the West) and the mandatory celibacy of clergy (enforced by the West but not the East). Political and Cultural Tensions: Underlying theological differences were also fueled by broader political and cultural tensions between the Eastern Roman Empire (centered in Constantinople) and the Western Roman Empire (centered in Rome). These empires had long been divided, and cultural differences added to the growing rift. Centuries of political maneuvering and mistrust between Eastern and Western leaders further strained the relationship between the two churches. The Final Break (1054 AD): A specific event in 1054 acted as the formal catalyst for the schism. Pope Leo IX sent legates to Constantinople to address concerns about the Eastern Church’s practices. However, the mission turned sour, with both sides excommunicating each other. This mutual excommunication marked a turning point, solidifying the separation between the two churches.
Panel with a griffin, Byzantine art of 1250, at the Met
Byzantine Art: Byzantine art is generally dated from the 4th century AD, following the establishment of Constantinople (present-day Istanbul) as the new capital of the Eastern Roman Empire, to the fall of Constantinople in 1453 AD. Byzantine art begins to develop, drawing on Roman, Greek, and early Christian artistic traditions. Byzantine art flourishes, particularly under the reign of Emperor Justinian I (527-565 AD).
The Orthodox Byzantine painting style:
Christ Pantocrator, mosaics from Hagia Sophia in Contantinople/Istanbul
Mosaics, Frescoes & icons:
Two primary techniques dominated: mosaics composed of small colored tiles and frescoes painted directly onto wet plaster. Mosaics were often used for grand, public spaces, while frescoes adorned the walls and ceilings of churches and monasteries. Icons were painted on wood with gold leaf, precious stone and some added casings in gold or silver.
Religious Focus:
Almost all Byzantine paintings served a religious purpose. They adorned churches and monasteries, depicting scenes and figures from the Bible, lives of saints, and theological concepts. Although the writings in Meteora deny this notion in favor of the following statement.
The Orthodox Church is decorated with frescoes and icons. The Orthodox Byzantine painting is not merely a form of art, it is not even a religious painting. Its purpose is not to decorate the walls of our churches or other buildings for the decoration purposes. It is a liturgical art, which depicts or rather narrates the lives of holy persons and sacred historical events of the Orthodox Faith, so as to lead us to a more profound knowledge of the Triune God and the Saints of our Church. It functions as the painted form of the sacred Word of the Gospel.
Contemporary painting in Holy Meteora
Spiritual Significance:
Unlike classical art that emphasized naturalism, Byzantine painting aimed to convey a spiritual message. We see elongated and stylized saints and other figures. They have exaggerated gestures and facial features to evoke emotion. Byzantine painting does not depict present reality, because it is not interested in a fickle world of decay and corruption. It presents the world renewed by the Holy Spirit. Through its techniques, shapes and colors, the byzantine painting attempts to represent our spiritual bodies and the divine glory we shall assume on the day of the Resurrection. Its nature is pious and devotional; its formal beauty is of the spirit, not the body. The sacred figures are depicted in unchanging, uncorrupted form, with spiritual vigor, courage of mind and spirit, frank honesty, sincerity and integrity.
Cupola, Eastern Orthodox Church style, Colorado Springs, USA
The Orthodox painting has its own rules, determined by the Orthodox theological foundations on which it rests:
1. It abolishes the light of the secular world: In accordance with the laws of nature, secular painting renders the shadows cast by persons and objects. We describe it as turning the form through light and shade. But the Byzantine painting creates form through light alone. All is bright and distinct, because all is illuminated by the never-setting sun of Justice, Christ- the only source of light in all His Kingdom. Shadow symbolizes the sin.
2. It abolishes earthly time and space: The image retains the historical features and context of its subject, but is not bound by them. This is why Orthodox art liberates itself from its constraints. Sometimes, it presents chronologically-different events in a connected depiction. God is timeless and beyond space. Space and time are human concepts, employed for the practical regulations of our lives, while in the Church everything turns into eternity.
3. It abolishes perspective: In secular art painting, every work respects the natural law of perspective. This flattened Perspective, with buildings and landscapes depicted in a simplified way gives focus on the central figures and their symbolic meaning.
Gold leaf & Blue:
Eastern Orthodox Church style, Colorado Springs, USA
In the Orthodox painting, “depth” or “background” gives way to the “Kampos”- a flat surface, which in the icon painting is covered in gold (symbolizing the Kingdom of God) and in murals is covered in blue (symbolizing the sky). Other vibrant colors like blues, reds, and greens were prominent, creating a sense of awe and majesty. The generous use of the gold leaf added to the opulence and sacred atmosphere of the paintings and icons inside the church.
Why icons look stylized and two-dimensional in the Byzantine painting:
This approach gives prominence to the central theme and assists the function of a “reverse” perspective. This shows the “mystic depth” of the image, which is the work of redemption of our Lord Jesus Christ, who descended to earth from heaven to save the world. His Kingdom has already arrived and His love embraces and raises us to this Kingdom. This embrace is what the reverse perspective is meant to show the icon embraces the worshipper who is standing before it.
The face is always depicted in the Orthodox painting. It’s based on the etymology of the Greek word “face”, that means looking towards the eyes, because all the saints view God “face to face”, according to their soul’s purity. The way in which the features of the face are represented in Orthodox iconography is educational, symbolic and uplifting.
Large and wide-open eyes have a peaceful expression, because they see God, they view His uncreated Glory. The nose is rendered as thin, long and spiritual. The mouth is small and closed, often covered, to show that the depicted person has no need to speak. He has been united with the Word of God, with Christ Himself. He uses speech only when necessary and always to the glory of God. He does not speak, he acts. This also reminds us that “silence is the mystery of the time to come”.
The Saints are depicted with large ears, as a sign that they are ready to listen to the word, the commandments of our Triune God. The saints “listen to” and obey God, which is the reason why all their senses have been blessed and made holy.
In the Orthodox Church we don’t use three-dimensional statues, which represent our material and perishable world. On the contrary, the Byzantine iconography uses only two dimensions (height and width) in its depictions. The third dimension (depth) is intended to be supplied by the faithful as they pray. The believer becomes a part of the icon. The Byzantine iconography (frescoes and portable icons) is a teaching. It’s prayer and theology. It’s transcendence, encounter with the divine, consolation and repose of the faithful in the bosom of our Triune God and His Saints. It’s liturgy means for our salvation and glorification.
Hieratic Scale: The use of hieratic scale meant important figures, like Jesus or the Virgin Mary, were depicted larger than others, emphasizing their significance.
The Holy Monastery of Great Meteoron
This is the oldest and largest monastery in Meteora. Also known as the monastery of Transfiguration, the Megalo Meteoro got founded by the Greek-Serbian Saint Athanasios the Meteorite in the 14th century. The saint was born around 1302 and lived in Athos- the main religious site in Greece before founding the monastic order in Meteora.
He built the church with the words, “I place you under the roof of the Virgin Mary.” The second founder- St. Ioasaph was the son of the Greek-Serbian king of Epirus and Thessaly. The 1387 inscriptions state that he re-built and expended the original church as a sanctuary in the form of a katholikon as it’s present today. Palaiologan wall paintings dated from 1483. St. Ioasaph died around 1422. Both Saint Athanasios and St. Ioasaph are saints in this church who are honored in April. Their skulls have become the venerated relics at the church that are displayed in the narthex of the katholikon.
Great Meteoron monastery, side view
Main church with the narthex got built in 1544 using the Athonite pattern. The mural work in post-byzantine style got completed in 1552 and is attributed to Tziortzis of Constantinople and his workshop.
Ancient Eastern Orthodox church in Athens, Greece
The Athonite church pattern, also known as the Athonite type, is a specific architectural style used in Byzantine churches, particularly prominent on Mount Athos, a monastic peninsula in Greece. Developed around the 10th century, the Athonite pattern is based on the pre-existing cross-in-square plan, a common Byzantine church design. It incorporates modifications: Addition of Side Chapels: Two lateral apses or chapels are added to the eastern side of the main square, flanking the central apse that typically houses the altar. These side chapels are called "choroi" (singular: choros). Double Narthex: Another key distinction is the presence of two narthexes, an inner narthex (esonarthex) and an outer narthex (exonarthex), attached to the western end of the church. The Athonite pattern was well-suited for the needs of monastic communities on Mount Athos by giving additional space for the liturgies and regulating the flow of visitors.
Distinctive Features of the Athonite Church: Compact Design: Despite the additions, Athonite churches tend to be more compact compared to some other Byzantine church styles. This practicality suited the mountainous terrain of Mount Athos. Focus on Interior: The exterior of Athonite churches is often relatively plain, while the focus lies on the interior decoration. Frescoes, mosaics, and iconography often adorn the walls and ceilings, creating a rich visual experience. Examples of Athonite Churches: Great Lavra Monastery, Vatopedi Monastery and Iveron Monastery at Mt. Athos.
According to the inscription, the abbot Simeon guided building of the old refectory of the monastery. This old refectory houses Georgios Tsioulakis gallery of religious art with paintings of another young artist- Kostas Adamos from Kalabaka. the subjects depict monastic life and liturgy. Originally built in 1575, the two-story infirmary and a ward for the elderly monks is a beautiful monastic infirmary to survive to the present day (the second one is in Varlaam). Thoroughly renovated, the museum now houses monastic manuscripts, old books, printed books, portable icons, woodcarvings, gold-embroidered garments. There is a museum of history beneath the old refectory that shows some Greek history in costumes, documents, folk art, etc.
There’s a well-preserved old kitchen and a cellar with utensils, tools etc. The old carpenter’s shop gives a glimpse at the past. It’s really interesting to see the lifting tower and the net, in which monks were hauled up to the monastery before they built the stairs. Finally, the view from the steps of the monastery is just spectacular.
The very center of the church with old walls, iconostasis, frescoes, wood carvings and chandeliers is incredible. I’ve never seen such distinct combination of religious decorations in a church. There is a round, beautiful center piece with icons and a chandelier suspended above to gaze at the painted image of Christ in the cupola. Beautiful carved chairs and candles surround the space. It is amazing to see a living Orthodox monasticism in Meteora that keeps existing for 600 years being inline with the Greek people and their faith.
The Monastery of the Holy Trinity
Holy Trinity Monastery in Holy Meteora
The Holy Trinity Monastery-Agia Triada in Greek- takes a bit of a climb to reach. Established around1362, this is a fairly small monastery with the main chapel or Catholicon dedicated to the Holy Trinity. According to the official site of Meteora (link below), it was abandoned by the 20th century like all Meteora but in 1909, some Greek archaeologists surveying the monastery accidentally discovered a crypt containing 47 rare parchments and ancient codes. In 1925, the local bishop with the help of the locals finished the construction of a safe staircase. During the second WW, the Monastery of Holy Trinity suffered heavy damage with one of its main buildings burning to the ground. Τhe monastery got renovated in the ’70s to welcome visitors today. The Holy Trinity became a movie set in 1981 in the James Bond 007 film “For your eyes only”. The monks didn’t allow to shoot the movie inside and so a separate interior was constructed to shoot the movie scenes.
At the base of the cliff, you can see the old trail of the monks that takes you to Kalabaka.
The Varlaam Monastery
The Holy Monastery of Varlaam is the second largest monastery of Meteora. First founded in the 14th century by Varlaam, the monk climbed the rock cliff to establish the church. It got abandoned and ruined after his death until the early 16th century when two brothers re-established the monastery. These monks-Theophanes and Nectarios spent years building a new chapel dedicated to “All Saints” in 1541. This is the best monastery to see if you’re short on time. It includes a well-lit museum that has a nice presentation of icons, religious art, books, manuscripts, clothing, etc.
Inside the monastery you can also see an old tower with the original lift system the monks used to move stuff and each other. There is a huge 16th-century oak barrel shown in one of the rooms that was used for water storage.
There is a beautiful, one-of-a-kind wood window in the church that faces the courtyard with flowers and stunning views of Meteora.
Hospital-Nursing home at the Varlaam Monastery in Meteora
The nursing home of the Varlaam monastery in maintained as an independent ground floor building at the south-eastern edge of the rock at the south of the temple. The choice of the building’s location was not accidental. It was located outside the building complex, which was developed at the top of the rock, but on a lower plateau, in good orientation, free from other buildings around it, in peace and quiet, isolated, but also close to the monastery temple. During the Byzantine and post-Byzantine era, it was an important component of the building program of the monasteries for the exclusive care of the sick monks. The ground plan is square. In the middle there are four cylindrical columns (known as the tetrachion), where the aroula was placed. Aroula is a low square stone base, which served as a fireplace, where special food, hot beverages and even some remedies for the sick monks were prepared. There was a fire place to keep the room warm. On the north side of the building there are two ground-floor auxiliary rooms, structurally independent of each other. The first one is a small open antechamber which is adjacent to the western side of the chapel of Agioi Anargyroi (Saints Anargyroi). The second room is a small chapel east of the portico, dedicated to Agioi Anargyroi.
St. Stephan’s Monastery
The origins of the monastery date back to the 12th c. The founders of the monastery were St Antonios Kantakouzenos (early 15th c.) from the prominent Byzantine family of Kantakouzenos, and St Philotheos (middle of the 16th c.) from the village of Slatauna, the today’s Rizoma in Trikala. The Old Katholikon (main church) is dedicated to St Stephan and it is one of the first buildings of the Monastery. It was erected in the middle of the 14th c. and rebuilt in the middle of the 16th c. by St Philotheos.
In the 15th c., Dragomir, Grand Vornic of Wallachia, presented the graceful skull of St Charalambos as a gift to the monastery. Thereafter St Charalambos became the second patron-Saint and a strong guardian not only of the monastery but of the whole Greece. He worked several miracles; many believers found comfort and miraculous cure of their illnesses in body and soul.
In 1798, a magnificent new church was erected dedicated to St Charalambos, under the abbacy of Ambrosios. This became the new Katholikon, the monastery’s main church. It is built in the architectural style of Mount Athos. St Charalambos church has a crucifix design with four columns, two lateral niches and the choirs. An inner narthex precedes it with four columns in the center to support its roof. On the north side of the church’s outer wall, there is the addition of an arched porch-outer narthex.
The church features a remarkable iconostasis (altar screen) of exquisite art of wood carvings with elaborate vignettes that depict birds, animals, and scenes from the Old and New Testament. The artist -Kostas and Demitris from Metsovo carved them in 1814. He also made the wood-carved icon-stands in the inner narthex in 1836. The iconography of the Katholikon of St Charalambos started in 1992. This task was entrusted to the well-known and talented iconographer and mosaic maker Vlasios Tsotsonis. He worked in tradition and standard models of the Cretan School of Art.
The Monastery made a very important contribution to the education of the nation. The church school operating in the Monastery has the Bishop and great national benefactor Dorotheos Scholarios (1812-1889) among its students. The Abbot Konstandios built the Konstandios School in Kalambaka in the 19th c.. The Monastery ran a primary school for orphans in the 1970s. During the period of the Turkish occupation, the monastery of St Stephan, like all monasteries of Meteora, was sensitive to the suffering of people and provided assistance to the population. The monastery participated in the resistance during the Greek-Turkish war in 1897 and the Macedonian Struggle (1904-1908). The Monastery’s Abbot was imprisoned during the German occupation for his involvement in the resistance. During the Second World War the entire monastery was severely damaged.
In 1961, the monastery became a convent. By God’s grace, the first nuns who settled here organized monastic community and restored the buildings, despite many difficulties they faced. The historical buildings of the monastery have been renovated with participation of a talented, famous architect and conservator of monuments – Soterios Tzimas.
The primary concern of our sisterhood is to practice the pure Orthodox monastic life. At the same time, we do not eschew social activity. We don’t neglect to offer spiritual support to our visitors, who come to draw on the miraculous grace of our Saints. Our Monastery still pursues its conscientious efforts to prove worthy of its history by continuing its ministry to the Nation, Education and Culture.
In recent years, the monastery built a beautiful cemetery church dedicated to the Archangels and the holy Martyr Claudia with the chapels of Agia Skepi (Holy Protection of the Mother of God) and St Marina.
Museum space: The sacristy of the monastery, housed in the old refectory (a 14th c. church), is of a particular interest to the visitors. Illuminated manuscripts, early printed books, silver and gold crosses used in blessings and processions, sacred vessels and icons are exhibited in this space.
The Holy Monastery of Roussanou
First established in the 14th century, the monastery got almost destroyed during the WWII. Established as a small nunnery today, it has lower elevation, but the ladder that takes you to it is a bit scary to step on if you’re afraid of the heights. Main levels of the church got built in the 16th century that have beautiful frescoes created by a monk-artist. The nuns sell beeswax candles, wine and religious objects in a small gift shop.
Monasteries have small gift shops selling handmade icons, posters, wine, jewelry, etc
The Holy Monastery of Saint Nicholas of Anapafsas
Founded in the 14th century, the Agios Nikolaos Monastery currently experiences a renovation of its interior frescoes. You can see small spaces with 14th-century murals and new ones. The church space is interesting because when you walk it up it feels like catacombs one level built over the next vertically. You have to use the staircase for the access. There is no courtyard like in Varlaam and the church dome itself has no windows. Overall, this monastery feels like a dwelling with carved out spaces for cells, church and the heirlooms.
Resting means anapafsis in Greek, so Agios Nikolaos of Anapafsas translates as Saint Nicholas the one who gives you rest.
PS. We didn’t see the hidden monastery of Ypapanti in Meteora. The old abandoned monastery is located in the northern part of Meteora. Built in the 14th century, Ypapanti monastery is renovated today and accessible. I also suggest to check out the official site of Meteora for some hidden gems in and around town that include caves and museums!
THE GREEK LANGUAGE
The greatest offer of Hellenism to Christianity is the Greek language. The depth, infinity and power coming out of its vivid and clear terminology offered the background and became the most suitable vehicle for the formulation and expansion of Christian Theology. This is the language of the Gospels, the Divine Liturgy, the Hymnography and the Doctrines of the Church. It is the same language that was taught by from Aristotle to Alexander the Great. Finally, it is the language of multiple archeological findings that demonstrate glorious Greek origin of our Macedonia and our enslaved homelands. With this language spoken throughout centuries, Orthodoxy enriched and innovated the Greek terminology of its theology, cosmology, anthropology and gave it its own Christian content.
Over a thousand year-old Byzantine Greek Empire regenerated and reformulated the Ancient Greek Civilization. It gave birth and made known the New Greek-Christian Civilization. It embraced and preserved an entire Ancient Greek spiritual heritage as the Christian teachings about the relation between God, man and the world. Greek Byzantium was the cradle of the great Orthodox Christian Emperors, the Ecumenical Fathers and Teachers of the church, the philosophers.
THE GREEK PHILOSOPHERS
Sivylla, the Greek philosopher: “He will be sent from heaven the king of centuries, who is going to judge every single man and the whole world”.
Solon, the Greek savant and legislator, 16 century: “He will be the son of God the Father, without any physical father, the most blessed and the light of the triune divinity. Although He is God, He will come not as God but as human, He who is the light with human flesh The God-man will suffer among the mortals the death on the cross, abuse and burial”.
Pythagoras, the Greek philosopher and mathematician, 5 century bc: “God is spirit, and the Wont who will take flesh from the father”.
Socrates, the Greek philosopher, 3 century bc: “And His name will be known and honored all over the world”.
Apollonius, the Greek philosopher, 1st century ad: “I am talking about an almighty God in three persons, who created heaven and earth. God always existed, exists and will exist without any beginning or end”.
Homer, the Greek poet, 8 century bc: “After some time, a humble King of the earth will come to you and will be revealed as an infallible man”.
Thucydides, the Greek Historian, 5″-4″ bc: “Not another God, or an angel, or a demon, or a wisdom nor any other substance. but the only dominant creator of everything is the most perfect Word of all, without exception.”
Aristotle, the Greek philosopher, “Sometime in the future, somebody will arrive in this multi-divided earth. An omnipotent and infallible man will be born, God’s birth in a natural way. So, the Divine Word will take flesh”.
Platon, the Greek philosopher , “From the womb of a pure and virgin bride, the unique offspring of God will be born…. (The father twill exist inside his offspring and the offspring inside the father. The one is divided into three and the terve are divided into one)…. (This bride) will bring into the world, both without flesh and with flesh and with the possibility to be born, the creator of heaven and earth”.
Plutarch, the Greek Father of History, 1″ century A.D.: “I foretell only one God, the most high king, in three persons, whose Word is imperishable, and will be gestated inside a virgin. He, like a burning bow, will arise all of a sudden and will catch in in his nete the whole world and will offer it as a present to his Father.”
PROPHETS
The Prophet Habakkuk, 6 century bc: “But the time is coming quickly and what I show you will come true. It may seem slow in coming but wait for it it will certainly take place and it will not be delayed” (Hah. b, 3).
The King and Prophet David, 10 century b.c.: “The Lord said to my lord, the King “Sit here at my right until I put your enemies under you feet”.
The Prophet Elijah, 9 century bc: “Omnipotent God be blessed. I swear to Him and my life that I will never abandon you” (Kings B. 2,1).
The Prophet Jonah: “In my distress, O Lord, I called to you and you answered me. From deep in the world of the dead. I cried for help and you heard me” (Jonah b. 3).
The Prophet Zechariah, 6 century bc: “The Lord said -Sing for joy, people of Jerusalem! I am coming to serve among you! At that time many nations will come to the Lord and become his people. He will live among you and you will know that he has sent me to you” (Zech, b, 15).
The Prophet Jacob, 18 century: “Judah will hold the royal scepter and his descendants will always rule. Nations will bring him tribute and how in obedience before him” (Gen. 49,an).
The Prophet Solomon, 10 century: “You, our God, are full of benevolence and real and govern everything with compassion. Because, even if we make a sin, we don’t stop being yours, by re enguizing your majesty and dominance” (Sul. Wisdom ie, 1-2)
The Prophet Isaiah: “Well then, the Lord himself will give you a sign a young woman who is pregnant will have a son and will name him Immanuel, meaning God with us” (Is. 714). “The royal line of David is like a tree that has been cut down. But just as new branches sprout from a stump, so a new king will arise from among David’s descendants (ls. a, 11. “A Child is born to as. A son is given to us! And he will be our ruler. He will be called Wonderful Counsellor-Mighty God Eternal Father «Prince of Peace” (Is. 9,6-7). The Judge Gideon (12th century bC.): Today I will put clips in the threshing floor. I called you clip Pure Virgin. Your Son showed me the miracle” (Judges 6, 37, 40).
The Prophet Jeremiah, 6 century bc: “He is our God. Nobody can be compared to Him. He invented and showed all streets of science. After that, He was presented to earth and mingled with people” (Jeremiah c. 15, Varuch 36,38).
The Prophet Moses,14-13″ century bc: “The Lord and God will give birth to kingship that will never be destroyed” (Daniel b. 44)
The Prophet Ezekiel, 6 century bc: “Green pastures of the land of Israel, I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I will find them a place to rest. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken” (Ezek. 34, 45).
Some practical information to plan your visit:
It’s surprising to see public restrooms available on the grounds of the monasteries but they’re quite weird. Both men and women share the sinks like anywhere in Greece.
Meteora is easily accessible by a well-made road. You won’t have to climb the mountains for hours to get to the monasteries. Although some of them do require considerable walk up the stairs or a heel… Big basses, cars and motorcycles somehow fit on parking lots and winding roads. As we rented a car and drove across Greece, we experienced great, new highways that cost quite a lot to make a trip from Athens to Meteora. Every section of the road had a toll to pay that I think was close to 30 euros in total one way…You also must consider the cost of gas on top of a car rental as well.
Monasteries have different work hours! They are normally open till 3 pm, but it varies. Some close for a day like Tuesday. Check with Google map not to miss their work hours when you visit.
Monasteries are of different size but none of them is huge. Some are very small and will take you 20 minutes to visit.
Dress appropriately. Cover your shoulders. Men must wear pants and women must wear skirts. Most visitors don’t, so I find that the clergy is very accommodating to tourists there by giving skirts to wear while on their grounds.
Video and photography are prohibited inside the very center of the church. However, everything else is open for photography. I found monks to be very tolerant to buses of foreign tourists photographing everything around them…
The cost of visiting one monastery is just 3 euros per person.
Surprisingly, they have public restrooms on their grounds.
Every monastery has a gift shop with jewelry, icons and other religious attributes you could buy.
Kalabaka is a very small town at the bottom of Meteora where you can stay overnight in a hotel or eat at the restaurant.
We spent two days in Meteora visiting all churches at leisure enjoying the views and culture of Greece.
Even if you’re afraid of heights, you can still visit Meteora by avoiding groups of people climbing the mountains and just focusing on the monasteries themselves that are fairly safe to get to.
THE KING OF GLORY
After the disobedience of the Divine Order it created the human beings. The communication between a man and God was interrupted. People began to communicate with their Creator again with the help of the Prophets, Saints, Messengers and Interpreters of the God’s Orders, who predicted “what would happen in the future” and performed miracles in order to confirm their vocation and mission from God.
Faithful Prophets accepted the Divine Revelation of the incarnation of the world’s Savior and transmitted to the people the hope of His coming. For that reason, they are considered to be our spiritual forefathers and first guides towards divine knowledge and our salvation through Jesus Christ.
However, God, together with the Revelation of His Truth to the Righteous and the Prophets, did not let Himself be hidden from the other nations of the world. He enlightened people to talk about the essence of the soul, ideas, the nature of beings, the meaning of the World.
Greek philosophy, poetry and science engraved the future events deeply into history according to the Divine Plan of the world’s salvation. St Justin, the philosopher and martyr declares “whoever lived with prudence and logos (before Christ’s birth) is a Christian, even if he was considered to be an atheist, for instance, among Greeks, Socrates, Heraklitos and others like them”.
All those Greek wise men with their education and spiritual wealth, with their deep longing and love for values, ideals and the purpose of life and death, became loyal and persistent seekers of the truth. They reached very near the True God and, with their teachings, they formed the conditions for His acceptance by the people. For that reason, when St. Apostle Paul, in the Athens Supreme Court of Appeal, was talking to the Athenians about the unknown God (Jesus Christ), who was honored in a special altar, he underlined that “and some of your poets have talked about this” (Acts IZ, 23). Therefore, the meeting of the ancient Greek thinking with Orthodoxy and their union constitutes a milestone with ecumenical dimensions and enormous beneficial effects upon all humankind.
What is the color white? Is it the titanium white in oil painting? Or is it the color of your skin, feather, cream, silk, snow, kitty, pearls, chess, lace, car, flowers, crystals, swans, wall paint, clouds and the moon? Or is it the white of a happy smile, hope, or the light of your soul? Is it the blinding sunlight, the whiteness of an angel’s wings or purity and innocence of a child? It seems that white represents no color. Yet, it means so much to us. The bride’s wedding gown. The white glow of the sublime. The ethereal beauty of a white Greco-Roman marble sculpture. White light. White face. White lilies. White room. White staircase. White dove. White snow. It’s either a clean start or cold emptiness. We see unity in the symbolism of white across many cultures but not all. White can mean either a wedding or a funeral.
Technically, white isn’t a specific “color” like red or blue. When all the wavelengths of visible light are present and reflected by an object, we perceive it as white. In simpler terms, white is “all colors of the rainbow combined.”
All the colors we see exist on the visible light spectrum, a range of wavelengths our eyes can perceive. Each color corresponds to a specific wavelength of light. White is an achromatic color, which means it lacks a “hue.” White light is “all colors combined.” ( We perceive black when an object absorbs all wavelengths of light instead of reflecting them. An opposite to white, black is the absence of reflected light).
What is the color white? | photo: Veronica Winters
What is the color white in oil & acrylic painting?
Closeup of a white gown and metal from the Accolade, Edmund Blair Leighton (1852–1922), oil on canvas, 1901, height: 182.3 cm (71.7 in); width: 108 cm (42.5 in), private collection
While prehistoric art got created with a white chalk made of the mineral calcite, white oil paint has a different composition and history. In oil painting, the ideal opaque white is neither warm nor cool. For generations artists painted with lead white until the 19th century when everything changed. Companies began to mass-produce art supplies including watercolor and oil paint. No more hand-grinding of pigments!
White comes from substances like titanium dioxide, lead carbonate, calcite or zinc oxide. Zinc white has zinc pigments. Flake white is a softer, warmer white that used to have lead in it. Flake white is found in early Chinese painting. Kremnitz white, Venetian white, French white and Dutch white were also based on lead carbonate and lead hydroxide. Flemish white is based on lead sulfate. Cool color, the Titanium white is the strongest and most opaque white used by most contemporary artists today. A vast majority of the manufactured white pigments don’t have toxic lead in them. However, such paint is a lot more brittle and susceptible to the environmental changes, especially if it’s mixed with the safflower oil and not the linseed oil.
A modern invention, acrylic white is a chemical-based paint that’s made of pigment suspended in an acrylic polymer emulsion. It’s also made of plasticizers, silicone oils, defoamers, stabilizers, or metal soaps. Unlike oils, it’s water-based and dries super quickly. Used in house painting, acrylic paint dries to be water-resistant. Some artists love painting with acrylics while others don’t. Unique properties of each paint fit different creative personalities.
“Torso of river” statue fragment at the Palatine museum in Rome | Photo: Veronica WintersCanova, Napoleon’s sister, closeup of fabric in marble, Borghese gallery, Rome, Italy
What are the shades of white?
Duomo di Bergamo cathedral rose window wall. Near Milan, Italy. | look at all these shades of white! I absolutely love the use of color marble here. Also there are several different patterns and textures that describe the ornamentation of this cathedral. Beautiful!
While most people don’t think of white having shades, artists and creatives perceive a wide range of subtle variations of white while creating their art. Normally, we don’t see the difference between the shades of white unless we chose a wall paint in a hardware store or look at the neatly stacked rows of clothes in a shop.
Shades of white seen in the Alhambra Palace in Granada, Spain
White should be neutral but it’s often either warm or cool. Warm whites have a hint of yellow to create a sense of warmth and coziness. Ivory, eggshell, cream, antique white, vanilla, and beige are the shades of warm white.
Bernini, Apollo and Daphne, closeup of fabric and hand, 1625, Rome, Italy. This white marble has a warm tone because of warm light. The dodge’s palace in Venice, Italy. Here the white marble has a warm cast on the left side and a bluish color on the right.Neutral color of the white snow in Russia.
Cool whites have a bluish-grey undertone giving a sense of timeless airy feel. Alabaster, pearl, white smoke and snow come to mind describing cool whites. But not all snow scenes are created equal. Some snow scenes have warm, yellowish color and bluish shadows seen under the sun.
Shades of white could also lean towards a specific color like pink, peach or green. Seashell white is a soft, pinkish-white reminiscent of the delicate hues of seashells.
The crystal white tiara could literally be any color of the light projected onto it. Here it ranges from a purplish white to warm white.
One of my favorite artists is John Singer Sargent. I love his use of bold brushstrokes, color and richness of paint he achieved in his large-scale canvases.
John Singer Sargent, Lady Agnew of Lochnaw (1864-1932), 1892, 127.00 x 101.00 cm, oil on canvas, National Galleries of Scotland.https://www.nationalgalleries.org/art-and-artists/5396/0?overlay=download I’ve seen this painting hanging at the entrance to the art museum in Edinburgh, Scotland. The artist painted ultra wealthy individuals and often participated in the arrangement and choice of gowns on his models. According to the museum’s notes, living a lavish lifestyle, Gertrude had to sell several paintings including this one to the National Gallery of Scotland in 1925!
Regardless, I love how fluid and beautiful the white fabric is here. Look at all these shades of white! John Singer Sargent, Lady Agnew of Lochnaw (1864-1932), a closeup of the painting revealing beautiful shades of white shifting from warm to neutral to cool white.Sir Frederic Leighton, Portrait of a Roman Lady (La Nanna), Oil on canvas Dimensions: 31 1/2 x 20 1/2 inches (80 x 52.1 cm), 1859, Philadelphia Museum of Art While her face appears artificial lacking life and character I love how the artist painted all these different white garments! They range from neutral white in her robe to a warm white of silk cover to a pinkish white skirt. Also, a single string of white pearls matches the warmth of the silk. The background has some white elements that are greyed down and subdued to bring the figure forward.Sir Frederic Leighton, Portrait of a Roman Lady (La Nanna), Oil on canvas
Dimensions: 31 1/2 x 20 1/2 inches (80 x 52.1 cm), 1859, Philadelphia Museum of Art
The Symbolism of White across Art History
Paul Delaroche, The execution of Lady Jane Grey, 1833, National Gallery, London, a closeup of hands and white gown. Photo: Veronica Winters | Here the white fabric is warm while the “grey” shadows are neutral and warm somewhat as well.Antonio Canova, Napoleon’s sister, Venus Victrix, 1805-08, closeup of fabric in marble, Borghese gallery, Rome, Italy | The light is warm hitting the marble casting bluish-grey shadows.
The symbolism of the color white is quite astonishing if we think about it. There are universal associations with this color as well as the nuanced meanings of white depending on culture or context. One color. Two opposite associations.
Positive associations with the color white
In Christianity white represents purity, innocence, divinity.
Think of the white angels, white robes of monks and heavenly figures, a white dove or the white lilies of the Virgin Mary.
The Ghent Altarpiece. Adoration of the Mystic Lamb: The Archangel Gabriel, 1432. Here, Gabriel brings the white lilies to Mary in annunciation. These flowers mean purity and virginity. The archangel wears a white robe with beautiful pearls decorating the fabric.Dressed in a beautiful white gown, heavenly figure of Mary soars on a white cloud. This is one of the most beautiful religious sculptures I’ve seen in the European churches.Abbott Handerson Thayer, Angel, 1887, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American ArtMichelangelo Caravaggio, a closeup of a painting “Rest on the Flight into Egypt”, 1597. We see an angel playing music wrapped in swirling white fabric.
While the white clothing is ceremonial of passing into another world or Heaven, the ethereal glow of white light represents heaven and the divine, spiritual purity, enlightenment and truth.
John Duncan, 1866-1945, Scottish, St.Bride, 1913 detail | Scottish National Gallery | White clothing is ceremonial of passing into another world or Heaven. It’s the color of the ascension into the Heavens.This is the official emblem of the pope with a dove or the Holy Spirit depicted in the center of it. I think I saw it in the Vatican, Italy. I love how Italian artists used colored marbles and stone to decorate the churches, placing the material on the floor and walls.A closeup of the Pope’s emblem showing the Holy Spirit
White dove or the Holy Spirit is a symbol of peace, forgiveness, hope and love. In art, it forms the Trinity and flies in rays of sunlight with an olive branch in its beak.
Mexico City, MexicoPortrait of Pope, Leo X and his cousins, cardinals Giulio de’ Medici & Luigi de’ Rossi. Closeup detail of the white garment of the pope. Raphael, c. 1518-1520, oil on wood, 154 cm × 119 cm (61 in × 47 in), Uffizi, Florence.
White can symbolize hope, innocence and royalty in ceremonies.
A white wedding gown means innocence and pure perfection especially of a young bride. White is the color of light and white pearls communicate similar symbolism.
Vladimir Makovsky, to the marriage (farewell), 1894; Russian Federation, oil on canvas, Samara Regional Museum of Fine Arts, Samara, Russia, Dimensions: 115 x 99 cm. | Here, although the bride wears a white gown and is about to get married, she is devastated by the normally joyful event. The artist commented on common practice of parents giving their daughter to marry at a young age to fix the family’s financial situation. Fedotov, Matchmaking of a major, 1848 | This famous Russian painting carries similar symbolism where a young bride doesn’t want to marry an old man for money.
James McNeill Whistler (1834–1903), Symphony in Flesh Colour and Pink: Portrait of Mrs Frances Leyland, Image source: Frick Collection, NY., Henry Clay Frick Bequest, 1916.1.133
Accolade, Edmund Blair Leighton (1852–1922), oil on canvas, 1901, height: 182.3 cm (71.7 in); width: 108 cm (42.5 in), private collectionCloseup of a white gown and jewelry pieces from the Accolade, Edmund Blair Leighton (1852–1922), oil on canvas, 1901, height: 182.3 cm (71.7 in); width: 108 cm (42.5 in), private collection | White is the color of light, divinity, nobility and purity of the heart. White pearls also symbolize purity, wisdom and sincerity. And let’s just say that these beautiful pearls make a great visual statement in paintings like this one!
White can represent royalty.
Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres, Napoleon on his Imperial Throne, 259 cm × 162 cm (102 in × 64 in), oil on canvas, 1806, Musée de l’Armée, Paris. | You’d be surprised but this artwork wasn’t popular at the Paris Salon when he exhibited this monumental painting. It received vitriolic criticism mainly because Napoleon looked too artificial and Gothic. However, if you know other paintings by Ingres, this is the most elaborate one! Just like another French artist – Poussin, Ingres often received poor reception for his art at the Salon. Moreover, in the middle of his career he got so fed up with the criticism and poor receptions of his work that he began to exhibit his art in his studio and private apartments. A student of famous neoclassical painter David, Ingres took a different road in his vision of art that the contemporaries and critics didn’t get. In this painting you can certainly admire a perfect balance of color, lines, objects, textures and symbols captured in one painting. The artist’s composition is a reversed triangle. Both composition and realistic textures are reminiscent of Jan van Eyck’s painting.
French artist, Ingres puts a lot of symbolism into this painting depicting Napoleon as a ruler blessed by God. Napoleon looks like a religious icon. The artist bestows a Roman-like golden laurel crown onto his head and paints a circular-shaped throne behind him to suggest the divine power of the ruler. White ermine fur incircles the Napoleon’s neck – the symbol of royalty. The emblem of bees seen throughout the Vatican can be noticed on this lush, red cloak. The golden bees represent immortality and resurrection, while the Eagle represents military might. You can read about life and work of the artist in a concise book titled “Ingres” Karin H. Grimme.
The sword represents military power of French kings.The painting detail shows the Charlemagne’s golden scepter – the symbol of the executive power.Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres, Napoleon on his Imperial Throne, 1806, detail of the Hand of Justice ( in white).Anthony van Dyck, Henrietta Maria of France.Marie-Antoinette, oil on canvas, 92.7 × 73.1 cm (36 1/2 × 28 3/4 in.), after 1783, unknown artist, at the Smithsonian national galleryJacques-Louis David, madame Recamier, 1800, the LouvreSargent, Mrs. Joshua Montgomery Sears, a closeup of white gown at The museum of fine arts, Houston, 1899, Canvas or panel: 58 1/8 × 38 1/8 in. Sargent, Mrs. Joshua Montgomery Sears, The museum of fine arts, Houston, 1899, Canvas or panel: 58 1/8 × 38 1/8 in. John White Alexander, Repose, oil painting, 1895, American, the Met, New York | Similar to Sargent and Chase, Alexander loved to capture wealthy women in gowns at rest. This beautiful white dress stretches from left to right forming a diagonal, which is one of the ways to create a dynamic composition.
White is Heaven.
The Cathedral of Salerno inside. Italy.The Cathedral of Salerno inside, Italy. The Cathedral of Salerno was built between 1080 and 1085 on the ruins of a Roman temple.Ivan the Great Bell Tower at the Kremlin, image by Veronica Winters. | We can enjoy seeing the white stone cathedrals bathing in a warm sunlight. The Kremlin was built between the 14th and 17th centuries. The first white-stone walls and towers were built in 1367-68. The existing walls and towers were built by Italian masters from 1485 to 1495.Wat Rong Khun – the White Temple in Thailand. Photos c Veronica Winters | This looks like heaven on earth. Famous contemporary Thai artist- Ajarn Chalermchai wanted to build a temple that’s different from other wats. Normally, Thai temples are golden and the artist wanted to emphasize the Buddha’s purity who achieved Nirvana. Ajarn considered gold having a negative connotation about human behavior like lust. He put myriads of small mirrors into the white sculptures that beautifully reflect the light of the temple. These mirrors are the symbol of Buddha’s wisdom that shines throughout the universe according to the artist. He amassed a team of artists to build this beautiful site that represents heaven on earth. Wat Rong Khun is expending as new elements are added to the wat. The admission is free for people to enjoy the garden feeling peace and joy. Isn’t it wonderful?The Alhambra was built between 1238 and 1358, mainly during the reigns of Ibn al-Aḥmar and his successors. Located in Granada, Spain, the Alhambra is one of the world’s finest examples of Islamic architecture that served as inspiration for many artists including Escher. This elaborate geometric design shows heavenly colors of white and blue. Image by Veronica Winters
White in mythology:
White crane, a closeup of a Japanese temple decoration. Photo: V.Winters | In Japanese culture, the white crane, or tsuru, is a national treasure and symbol of good fortune, longevity, and peace. It is also associated with loyalty, wisdom, fidelity, and beauty. The crane is depicted in art, literature, and mythology, and is said to live for 1,000 years. It is also associated with the Shinto god of happiness, and it is said that the god will come to a person who folds 1,000 cranes. Recently, the crane has become a symbol of peace, hope, and healing.Look at these beautiful patterns of gold, blue and white! We can see the white dragon in the center of the decoration. Two white cranes create symmetry in this elaborate decoration seen in Japan.
In Japanese culture, dragons are guardians of the Buddhist temples and their meaning varies depending on their color. The white dragon, or Hakuryuu, is a water god that controls rainfall and water. White dragons are also associated with great wealth and blessings in marriage.
The white dragon decoration, Japan.
White as a force in duality of nature:
Yin and Yang is a core concept in the Chinese philosophy that describes two opposing yet interconnected and complementary forces that are believed to underlie all of reality. They represent intertwined aspects of a whole in a dynamic balance within the universe. Famous symbol of yin and yang is the taijitu, a circle divided into two halves, each containing a swirl of the opposite color. The swirl within each half represents the seed of the other force, signifying their interdependence. In art it often means balance where white can’t exist without black just like the sun doesn’t exist without the moon.
Among Neolithic jades of ancient China are bracelets (huan), penannular rings (chüeh), half-rings (huang), a flat disc with a hole in the centre (pi) and a ring or short tube squared on the outside (tsung). In later historic times these shapes acquired a ritual or ceremonial function, the pi and tsung, for example, symbolizing respectively heaven and earth.
(From the book: the arts of China, 3d edition, Michael Sullivan)
White often represents all the light in the world opposing the black of the darkness.
Viktor Vasnezov, Sirin and Alkonost. The song of happiness and sadness, 1896, The Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow
In this oil painting, “Sirin and Alkonost,” also referred to as “The Birds of Joy and Sorrow,” depicts two beautiful, half-bird, half-woman creatures from Slavic mythology. Sirin, on the right, is typically associated with joy and enchantment, while Alkonost, on the left, brings sorrow and mourning. Their contrasting melodies intertwine, creating a complex and evocative harmony that reflects the duality of human experience. The painting itself is a masterpiece of the Russian Romanticism expressed in symbolism that invites contemplation of life’s emotional range.
A close up of hands and lace in oil painting, Metz, France. Photo: Veronica WintersHolbein, The ambassadors, oil painting’s closeup of fur. London
The calming power of white:
The calming effect of white is obvious in snowy landscapes, white clouds or cashmere sweater that bring us feelings of peace. Tranquil nature relaxes our mind. Soft, white fabric evokes serenity. And white swans and snowflakes seem magical floating in water.
Snowy Gorge, Utagawa Hiroshige, Japanese, Edo period (1615–1868), the Met
White can carry a special meaning in objects we often see. For instance, symbolic of new life, white egg represents birth. Moreover, we can read the Chinese ancient legend about the origins of the world.
“Once upon a time, the universe was an enormous egg. One day the egg split open; its upper half became the sky, its lower half the earth, and from it emerged P’an Ku, primordial man. Every day he grew ten feet taller, the sky ten feet higher, the earth ten feet thicker. After eighteen thousand years P’an Ku died. His head split and became the sun and moon, while his blood filled the rivers and seas. His hair became the forests and meadows, his perspiration the rain, his breath the wind, his voice the thunder-and his fleas – our ancestors.” This legend expresses a Chinese philosophy, that man is not the culminating achievement of the creation, but a relatively insignificant part in the scheme of things; an afterthought. By comparison with the beauty and splendor of the world itself, the mountains and valleys, the clouds and water- falls, the trees and flowers, which are the visible manifestations of the workings of the Tao, he counts for very little.
(From the book: the arts of China, 3d edition, Michael Sullivan)
http://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/68969 Rank Badge with Leopard, Wave and Sun Motifs Period: Qing dynasty (1644–1911), late 18th century, China, silk, metallic thread, 10 3/4 x 11 1/4 in. (27.31 x 28.57 cm), Textiles-Embroidered, Credit Line: Bequest of William Christian Paul, 1929Caspar David Friedrich, the polar sea or the sea of ice,1823–1824,oil on canvas, 96.7 cm × 126.9 cm (38 in × 49.9 in). This is one of my favorite Romanticism artists who painted the power of Nature to show its spiritual dominance over men.
White hue can also be a symbol of cleanliness. Healthcare facilities have white rooms, corridors, and doctors’ coats.
Contemporary architecture loves the color white. Both interior and exterior spaces have white paint and decorum seen across Florida’s new construction to amplify the light in the region.
White can also represent neutrality or fairness, negotiation or surrender – the white flag of surrender.
John Trumbull, The Surrender of Lord Cornwallis at Yorktown, oil on canvas, 1826,21 × 30 5/8 × 3/4 in. image from the Yale University Art Gallery. It can be also seen in 12′ x 18′ size at the US Capitol Rotunda. This painting illustrates the surrender of the British army at Yorktown, Virginia, in 1781, which ended the last major campaign of the Revolutionary War. https://www.aoc.gov/explore-capitol-campus/buildings-grounds/capitol-building/rotundaJacques-Louis David, the death of Marat, 1793–1793, in the collection of the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium. This neoclassical painting has a very careful, classical design both in color and lines. Marat was a revolutionary in France and a friend of the artist. David was also a radical thinker and revolutionary who was once an official court painter to Napoleon but ended up in prosecution and escape from France to Belgium closer to the end of his life. Marat’s skin condition made him take long baths to sooth the pain where he got assassinated. This painting represents the ideals of neoclassical art and politics- simplicity, heroism, idealization, classicism, neutrality and stoicism. Color white helps communicate these virtues.
In modern art, white can symbolize a fresh start, an open canvas, or a space for interpretation. White is neutral, blank canvas. Artists like Robert Rauschenberg and Agnes Martin explored this potential in their monochromatic white paintings. Rauschenberg first painted his white canvases in 1951 in six variations- one to seven panels. Martin spent her 40-year career exploring the perception of stillness.
Georgia O’Keeffe (1887–1986), the white skull, Chicago art institute. O’Keeffe often painted the bleached white bones and skulls of the animals in New Mexico. She associated the skulls with strength of an American spirit.
White means innocence.
William Sergeant Kendall, art interlude, 1907, oil on canvas, American Art Museum at the Smithsonian Institution, Washington D.C.Rembrandt van Rijn, Lucretia, oil on canvas,(47 1/4 x 39 3/4 in.), 1664, closeup of fabric and pearls. National Gallery of Art, the Smithsonian, Washington DC. Rembrandt depicts the suicide of Lucretia happening in Rome in the 6th-century BC. She signifies virtue, loyalty and honor wearing white and pearls. You can read the full story here: https://www.nga.gov/collection/art-object-page.83.htmlPsyche Abandoned by Pietro Tenerani, Pitti palace, Rome, Italy. Image by Veronica WintersPaul Delaroche, the execution of Lady Jane Grey, National Gallery London. The only person dressed in white – Jane Grey symbolizes innocence.Paul Delaroche, the execution of lady Jane Grey, National Gallery London, Photo by Veronica WintersSir Joshua Reynolds The Ladies Waldegrave 1780, closeup, Scottish national gallery. The dresses in Joshua Reynolds’ “The Ladies Waldegrave” are a striking feature of the painting. All three sisters are clad in garments of a singular color: white. The material is most likely muslin, a popular choice for fashionable gowns in the late 18th century. White evokes purity, innocence, and a sense of classical elegance and timeless quality Reynolds appreciated in ancient art.Canova, Cupid and Psyche, marble sculpture, 1793, Louvre. Photo: Veronica WintersEdgar Degas, The Dance Class, oil painting, 1874, the Met, NY | Degas created a series of paintings devoted to the theme of dance. He captured white ballerinas in rehearsals sketching in pastels and painting in oil.Gerome, Pygmalion and Galatea,1890, oil on canvas, 35 x 27 in. (88.9 x 68.6 cm), the Met . “Between 1890 and 1892, Gérôme made both painted and sculpted variations on the theme of Pygmalion and Galatea, the tale recounted in Ovid’s Metamorphoses. All depict the moment when the sculpture of Galatea was brought to life by the goddess Venus, in fulfillment of Pygmalion’s wish for a wife as beautiful as the sculpture he created. This is one of three known versions in oil that are closely related to a polychrome marble sculpture, also fashioned by Gérôme (Hearst Castle, San Simeon, Calif.). In each of the paintings, the sculpture appears at a different angle, as though it were being viewed in the round.” the MetFrancesco Hayez Suzanna at her Bath, National Art Gallery of Scotland. A classical painting in many ways, the white fabric forms a circle around the nude communicating innocence of youth.
White as the representation of timelessness & memory
The marble sculpture at the CA’ d’ ORO Palace in Venice, Italy.Michelangelo’s tomb, detail, ItalyI love how lifelike this sculpture looks. It shows a pope blessing the crowd and wearing his crown. The light hit it so beautifully. It’s in St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican, Rome, Italy.
Negative white
Depending on our view of the world, specific events or cultural differences we can see the color white as cold, empty and artificially sterile. This kind of emotionless, stark white can trigger feelings of isolation, and emptiness. Moreover, white can be associated with mourning and death in some countries.
White ghosts scare us representing the supernatural and death.
William Blake, The Ghost of Samuel Appearing to Saul, c. 1800, pen &ink, watercolor, National Gallery of Art, the Smithsonian, Washington DC
White can also represent death. White shroud symbolizes death, mourning, and loss.
Vernet, Horace. angel of death, 1789-1863, the HermitageHieronymus Bosch, Death and the Miser, c. 1485/1490, oil on panel (other panels lost), 93 × 31 cm (36 5/8 × 12 3/16 in.), National Gallery of Art, Washington DCHieronymus Bosch Death and the Miser, c. 1485/1490, oil on panel (other panels lost), 93 × 31 cm (36 5/8 × 12 3/16 in.), National Gallery of Art, Washington DC. “In this panel Bosch shows us the last moments in the life of a miser, just before his eternal fate is decided. A little monster peeping out from under the bed–curtains tempts the miser with a bag of gold, while an angel kneeling at the right encourages him to acknowledge the crucifix in the window. Death, holding an arrow, enters at the left. Oppositions of good and evil occur throughout the painting. A lantern containing the fire of Hell, carried by the demon atop the bed canopy, balances the cross which emits a single ray of divine light. The figure in the middle ground, perhaps representing the miser earlier in his life, is shown as hypocritical; with one hand he puts coins into the strongbox where they are collected by a rat–faced demon, and with the other he fingers a rosary, attempting to serve God and Mammon at the same time. A demon emerging from underneath the chest holds up a paper sealed with red wax — perhaps a letter of indulgence or a document that refers to the miser’s mercenary activities. This type of deathbed scene derives from an early printed book, the Ars Moriendi or “Art of Dying,” which enjoyed great popularity in the second half of the fifteenth century. The panel may have been the left wing of an altarpiece; the other panels — now missing — would have clarified the meaning of some aspects of the scene, such as the discarded and broken armor and weapons in the foreground.” Taken from the gallery’s page https://www.nga.gov/collection/art-object-page.41645.html
Empty white rooms can feel lonely and even scary.
Blindfolded figures often represent ignorance, inability to see and vulnerability but the blindfolded Lady Justice has a different meaning. The blindfold represents that justice is unbiased and should not be influenced by a person’s appearance or other factors.
Justice, from the Cardinal Virtues, Nicolaes de Bruyn Netherlandish, Publisher Frederick de Wit Dutch 1648–56, the Met, New York. http://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/423841
Whitewashing is a term denoting the covering up of unpleasant truth, describing censorship.
art museum, Metz, France
As you can see the color white carries several meanings and rich symbolism in art history and our life. What do you think of white?
PS If you see a mistake in this article, please know it’s not intentional. Reach out with the suggested correction to nika@veronicasart.com
The Color White in Contemporary Art
Ann-Marie Kornachuk, oil painting, copyright of the artistG Mortenson, Homework, copyright of the artistLorenzo Quinn, Hands, sculpture, Venice. Photo by Veronica Winters, 2017Lorenzo Quinn, Hands, sculpture, Venice, Italy. Photo by Veronica Winters, 2017Jorge Jiménez Deredia, capullo, marble sculpture-contessa gallery-art wynwood 2023Filippo Tincolini, Spacesman seat, Marble, exhibited in Miami Art Context 2023Michael Buthe, white painting at Tate Modern, 1969, London. I snaped a picture of this painting in 2019. A carefully constructed composition with white stretcher bars, Buthe blurs the line between the canvas and its support, emphasizing the artwork’s physical construction.Freedom, 22x30inches, colored pencil drawing by Veronica Winters
If you’re in Naples, Florida, stop by to see the retrospective exhibition of Victory Vasarely that displays over 100 serigraphs, lithographs, gouache paintings, drawings and a few small sculptures. Hosted by the Naples Art Institute, the art show offers a beautiful look at Op Art you can rarely see around here.
Hungarian-French artist, Victor Vasarely (1906-1997) is the leader of the Op Art (optokinetic art) movement, and his innovations in color perception and optical illusion had influenced numerous artists to come. Today his hand-pulled art prints sell for $4,000-30,000 a piece. Vasarely was 90 years old when he died in Paris, France.
Victor Vasarely, Op Art, The Absolute Eye exhibition, Naples, FL 2024
Better known as OP Art, Optokinetic art movement relies on mathematical principles to construct repetitive abstract shapes, stripes, grids or spirals to catch the involuntary eye movements we make when following moving patterns. In other worlds, this art stimulates the optokinetic response in us. Op Art takes this response as the basis to visually trick us but normally explores a wider artistic vision and techniques in art.
Victor Vasarely, Op Art, the Absolute Eye exhibition, Naples, 2024
5 Facts about Victor Vasarely and his Op Art:
1. From Medicine to Mastermind
Before becoming the father of Op Art, Vasarely actually pursued a career in medicine! He switched paths mid-study, drawn to the power of visual communication. Later, he studied graphic design at the private Műhely School in Budapest and in 1930, he moved to Paris to work in advertising and design.
“Vasarely’s early geometric abstract research was inspired by purely abstract elements in nature and urban spaces. In 1947 he spent the summer on a small island off the coast of Brittany, called Belle-Île-en- Mer. He observed the polished stones in the sand, examined the prismatic behavior of the sea, as well as the refraction and reflection of light, the effect of creating space by shifting the viewer’s point of vision on a flat surface and the contrast of light and shadow that generates a vibration in the sight. This would mark the beginning of a true abstract approach for Vasarely. Although he later referred to this time in his life as “the wrong path,” it resulted in an important evolution in his work. It added more rounded elements to his paintings. When he returned to his previous geometric style, it was with the inclusion of dynamic rounded forms that seemed to bulge outward from the painting or collapse inward from the surface. These forms tricked the eye into experiencing that the image was moving. That kinetic illusion, combined with the three-dimensionality of the images on Vasarely’s canvases, became the foundation for the iconic aesthetic we now call Op Art.”
Naples Art Institute
Victor Vasarely, Op Art serigraph at the Absolute eye show, Naples, 2024
‘The extreme variety of its form leads the advertising designer to mute his personality.’
Victor Vasarely
2. Architect of 3-D Perception
Vasarely didn’t just paint illusions; he aimed to engineer them. His works use geometry, repetition, and color play to manipulate how viewers perceive depth, movement, and even color itself. Thanks to his jobs in advertising and graphic design the artist learned enough about human psychology to understand how we process visual information.
“Our eyes are subjected to a constant flood of visual stimuli. In order to process and interpret them, the subconscious brain compares the images with memories and experiences. That’s what distinguishes personal perception from the actual physiological image. Large objects in the foreground, small objects in the back and lines converging at a vanishing point. As soon as the eye receives signals like these, it perceives even a two-dimensional image as spatial. That is why artists usually use so-called central perspective for their naturalistic depictions – not least of all in pictorial representations of cities. They work with lines that converge as they recede into the depths of space, just as they seem to do in the perception of reality. Vasarely, for his part, made frequent use of axonometric projection a geometrical method of constructing three-dimensional forms. The parallel side lines are drawn tipped over to one side at equal angles. This has a bewildering effect on visual perception: does the picture really depict a three-dimensional object?”
Naples Art Institute
His serigraphs depicting Zebras are considered the earliest examples of Op art. In the left corner we can see that this print is numbered and signed by the artist in graphite pencil.
3. Op Art for Everyone
Unlike much avant-garde art, Vasarely believed in democratizing art experiences. He embraced public art commissions and architectural integrations, bringing Op Art to everyday spaces like buildings and metro stations. Influenced by the Futurists, Constructivists and Dadaists, Op Art spread all over Europe and came to the US in the 60s.
Victor Vasarely, Op Art, The Absolute Eye exhibition, Naples, FL 2024
Vega Structures
“Vega Structures is one of the best-known and most emblematic series produced by Vasarely at the height of his career named after the brightest star in the northern hemisphere’s summer night sky. Inspired by contemporary news reports about mysterious signals received from distant galaxies, Vasarely named many of his works after stars and constellations. The Vega pictures rely on convex- concave distortions of a grid-like network, a sophisticated combination of the cube and the sphere, symbolically referring to the two-way motion of the light that emanates from pulsating stars, and to the functioning of condensing galaxies and the expanding universe.
Through works such as “Vega-Fel-VR” (1971) and “Trivega” (1981), Serigraphs, the artist seeks to evoke the elusive universe of the galaxies, the cosmic pulsations and the biological mutation of the cell. The common denominator in these works is Vasarely’s realization that two dimensions can be expanded into three simply by deforming the basic grid, and that, depending on the degree of enlargement or reduction, the elements in the deformed grid can be transformed into rhombuses or ellipses.” Naples Art Institute
Victor Vasarely, Op Art, The Absolute Eye exhibition, Naples, FL 2024
4. More Than Meets the Eye
Vasarely saw his art as a bridge between science and art. He incorporated mathematical principles and studied perceptual psychology to achieve the dynamic, almost psychedelic optical effects in his Op Art.
In 1955, Victor Vasarely published his thoughts about Op Art in the Yellow Manifesto. In his writing, the artist recorded his ideas that he called Kineticism. He believed that art should be based on scientific principles to create a sense of movement, energy, depth expressed in geometric forms and optical illusions, rather than copying nature.
5. Beyond Canvas
Op Art wasn’t just about grid-like paintings. According to Tate, Vasarely experimented with various mediums, including sculptures, tapestries, and even architectural facades, creating illusory, flickering effects of depth, perspective, and motion. There are a few small sculptures presented at the show illustrating his interest in other materials and techniques.
Victor Vasarely, Op Art, The Absolute Eye exhibition, Naples, FL 2024Check out this cool shop https://customcreative.store, where you can custom-design your own gifts for yourself, family and friends. Custom-printed t-shirts, coasters, picture frames, tumblers and more! Take a look!”
What is a serigraph?
In the ” Absolute Eye” the majority of art we see are vibrant serigraphs produced by the artist. A serigraph is a a stencil-based printing process normally called the silkscreen printing. Warhol is the most famous modern artist who used this printing method to create his art. Roy Lichtenstein comes in second.
Stencils: A separate stencil is created for each color used in the artwork. These stencils typically use a photo-sensitive emulsion on a fine mesh screen (originally silk, now often polyester or nylon). Areas left open on the stencil will allow ink to pass through moving it with a squeegee.
Layering Ink: Each stencil is placed on a frame and ink is pushed through the open areas onto the substrate (usually paper, but other materials can be used too). This process is repeated for each color, building up the image layer by layer, resulting in thick, vivid colors to complete the image. Each layer must align and print perfectly to create a finished artwork, which requires some skill and patience from the artist. The high-quality inks produce rich textures and colors.
Hand-Crafted Touch: While automated machines exist, silkscreens are usually made as limited editions because each layer is hand-pulled, each stencil is hand-made, and each full-color serigraph is numbered and signed by the artist. Therefore, such prints are limited editions by nature and have the appeal to art collectors. Subject wise, this latest form of printmaking is the easiest to learn and doesn’t usually have the refinement of image like lithography or intaglio do.
Victor Vasarely, Op Art, The Absolute Eye exhibition, Naples, FL 2024
After walking through the exhibition and getting to know the artist, I was impressed with Victor Vasarely’s ability and mathematical precision to draft geometric forms – this is something I find very difficult to do in my art. As I’ve done silkscreen and other printmaking methods, I can appreciate the artist’s attention to detail and precision with which he worked to produce his op art prints.
More importantly, his thorough understanding of geometry and mathematical perspective led him to discover his own ideal of beauty comprising the Universe. Instead of copying visual cues from Nature like trees or birds, the artist studied nature to see the underlying structure of everything living. While Op Art or geometric abstraction is not my favorite art movement, I can see how it can play its role in other artists painting including mine.
Sources:
Naples Art Institute, The Absolute Eye, retrospective art exhibition, January 2024, Naples, FL.
Casa Azul, the Frida Kahlo’s house in Mexico City: is it worth the visit ?
Located in the Xochimilco district, Coyoacán neighbohood of Mexico City, the Blue House is the home and studio of famous surrealist female artist – Frida Kahlo. She is the most known Mexican painter promoted across numerous art museums in the US. Frida Kahlo was an amateur surrealist painter, a feminist icon, and a wife of famous Mexican muralist – Diego Rivera whom she married in 1929.
Frida’s courtyard: a cobalt-blue house pulsates with the vibrant spirit of Frida Kahlo.
The Casa Azul (Blue House) was built in 1904, long before Frida was born. It became her childhood home, a witness to her joy, pain, and unwavering passion for art. Here, amidst splashes of cobalt blue and Mexican folk art, the house became a shared haven for the artist’s tumultuous yet creative partnership with Diego Rivera. The Casa Azul museum doesn’t display famous art by Frida but mostly exhibits personal objects, small art, photography, pre-Columbian sculptures, documents, books and furniture of the artist.
The museum is a living space, infused with the echoes of Frida’s presence. Temporary exhibitions inside the house weave narratives around her life and art, while well-maintained lush garden, once Frida’s sanctuary, invites quiet contemplation.
Stepping into Frida’s World: the studio
Stepping into the museum is like stepping into Frida’s soul. Her studio, one of the rooms in the house, displays art supplies, objects, easel and inspiration of the artist. The windows bath the studio in warm light and provide the views into green-blue courtyard. It’s impossible not to notice that this house with a studio is modest in contemporary terms but it was definitely specious and cozy for that time period.
In the “Studio” room the easel takes a prominent space, which was given by Nelson Rockefeller to Frida Kahlo. This picture also captures the artist’s table with art supplies, books and pictures.
A Tangled Triangle: Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera, and Leon Trotsky
Both Frida and Diego Rivera were fascinated with the socialist ideology and supported its ideals via art. Rivera painted several murals with political messages. They both had a very close relationship with Leon Trotsky whose house was just a few steps away from theirs.
Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera had a tumultuous relationship. Although they shared passion and love for each other, Frida weathered many infidelities by her husband, and entered into extramarital affairs herself. In 1937, Leon Trotsky, the exiled Russian revolutionary, found refuge in Mexico, courtesy of Diego Rivera’s political leanings. He and his wife Natalia Sedova moved into Casa Azul, creating an unorthodox mix. As Diego became increasingly disillusioned with Trotsky’s political stances, Frida and Trotsky were known to have a short-lived affair, fueled by intellectual connection and perhaps a desire for revenge against Diego’s infidelity. When Trotsky and Natalia moved out, the friendship between Frida and Diego fractured, and Frida poured her emotional turmoil into her art, most notably the poignant “Self-Portrait Dedicated to Leon Trotsky.”
“Casa Azul” presents a collection of personal mementos, books, pictures, traditional Mexican crafts, pottery, etc. There is a display of medical corsets and costumes that reveal the depth of her struggles. Further down in the museum you’ll find a wall display of Frida’s crutches, corsets and medicines the artist used after her numerous surgeries.
The Artist’s Bedroom
The artist’s bedroom is modest with the mirror that her mother had put into her room after the accident. Unable to move for almost a year, Frida began to paint in her bed.
Kitchen
Kitchen space at the Frida’s house-museum. While the rooms are specious, you can see modest furniture, pottery, artifacts, folk art and personal items of the artists reflecting Mexican culture of that time period.
Frida’s dresses
A collection of Frida Kahlo’ dresses. Saint, muse, lover, victim and survivor. Frida Kahlo is the very model of the bohemian artist.
“Writer Carlos Fuentes described how Frida’s arrival at the Palacio de Bellas Artes would be announced by the sound of her jewellery and how the architectural grandeur of the palace, its paintings and the captivating music of its concerts would be instantaneously outshone by her striking presence. Some of her closest friends have described how Kahlo would take special care in choosing each one of her garments, styling herself from head to toe, with the most beautiful silks, lace, shawls and skirts, some of which can be admired in this gallery. On the street, children would ask her “Where is the circus?” and she would just smile graciously and continue walking.
October 1937 marked a major step for Frida’s future influence in the fashion world, when Vogue featured her for the first time in the pages of the magazine. Later, in 1939, André Breton organized Kahlo’s first exhibition in Paris. It was called Mexique and her Tehuana dress became an instant sensation among European elites. It is said that star designer of the day Elsa Schiaparelli created a dress in her honor that was named ‘La Robe Madame Rivera.
It was the Tehuana dress that Kahlo chose as her signature dress; to define her identity and to portray her cultural heritage and political beliefs. Her wardrobe is mostly composed of Mexican traditional pieces from Oaxaca and other parts of the country. Nonetheless, there are also ethnic garments from Guatemala and China, as well as an interesting collection of European and American blouses. Kahlo used to combine these pieces to style herself and her favorite colors were red, green, blue, black and white. The development of her distinctive style as a blend of traditional Mexican and European fashion, as well as the fundamental effects of her disabilities, is represented through this selection of Kahlo’s most iconic looks. Kahlo as a bohemian artist, a Tajuana, a hybrid – representing her own mixed European and Mexican blood.”
1. Carlos Fuentes, introduction to The Diary of Frida Kahlo, New York, Abrama, Ine, 1995, p. 7. 2. Hayden Herrers, preface to Frida: A Biography of Frida Kahlo, United States, Harper Perennial, 2002, p. X
Transforming Grief into Legacy:
Frida Kahlo is a symbol of female empowerment and artistic defiance in art history of the West. Her story, whispered through the cobalt-blue walls, continues to inspire artists and dreamers alike. Frida died in 1954. Grief-stricken, Diego Rivera set about creating a lasting tribute to her life and work. He transformed the house into a museum, officially inaugurating it in 1958. It was his way of keeping her spirit alive, sharing her story with the world.
Is it worth your visit?
While the museum has a historic value of course, it’s rather small in today’s terms, crowded, and doesn’t have as much art as you may think could be found there. It also requires advanced purchase of tickets stamped with day and time. So if you plan to visit it, you must purchase the tickets before traveling to Mexico. Personally, I didn’t find the house fascinating but the Rivera’s Pyramid- museum was really interesting and definitely worth your visit! The Blue House ticket price includes the visit to the Anahuacalli. Be aware that it’s located in a different part of town and we used Uber to go there.
Anahuacalli: A Temple of pre-Hispanic art rising from Diego Rivera’s passion
Diego Rivera pyramid museum or ANAHUACALLI MUSEUM in Mexico City. The Museum houses more than 45,000 pieces, 2,000 on permanent display. In 1941, Diego began building the Anahuacalli, an architectural blend of modern art and pre-Columbian culture. The artist bought the land to build a cultural destination for artists and art enthusiasts alike. Each corner of the building has four elements – the goddess of corn and earth- Chicomecóatl; the god of wind and air- Ehécatl; the god of fire-Huehuetéotl, and the god of water and rain – Tláloc.
The eruption of Xitle, in the year 400 BC, created a landscape of layers of lava that, when solidified, formed an ecosystem of desert plants. The architecture of Anahuacalli was integrated into this biosphere, thought by Diego as a sacred receptacle in connection with the underworld.
from the museum’s website
Rising from volcanic rock, the Anahuacalli’s name, derived from the Nahuatl language, translates to “house surrounded by water”. Throughout his life, Rivera amassed a vast collection of pre-Hispanic artifacts, captivated by the history, wisdom and beauty of ancient Mexican cultures. He dreamt of a space to house these treasures, not just as a collector, but as a storyteller, an educator, and an artist himself.
One of the halls inside the museum displaying sketches done by Diego Rivera.
In 1943, Rivera began translating his vision into reality. He designed the Anahuacalli, drawing inspiration from Mayan and Aztec pyramids, using volcanic rock and concrete to create a sense of permanence and power. The building’s façade features sculptures reminiscent of pre-Hispanic iconography, hinting at the treasures within. The building consists of different levels with a varied amount of natural light, symbolizing a journey from the underworld to the sun. As a collector, Diego Rivera amassed over 45 thousand pieces of pre-Columbian art – comprising Jalisco, Colima, Nayarit and Michoacán.
Inside, the museum unfolds like a journey through time. Dark rooms showcase Rivera’s collection of over 6,000 pre-Columbian artifacts – terracotta figurines, masks, ceremonial objects – each whispering stories of forgotten civilizations. Rivera carefully arranged these pieces, not as mere exhibits, but as characters in a grand narrative, weaving together threads of mythology, ritual, and daily life. Ancient figurines are fascinating to look at as they are varied and represent different time periods. This museum is as interesting as the Archeological museum in Mexico City.
The Anahuacalli was envisioned as a cultural space, a “City of Arts,” where artists of all disciplines could find inspiration and collaboration. He designed studios, gardens, and courtyards, dreaming of a vibrant hub where creativity could flourish across generations. Unfortunately, Rivera’s ambitious vision for the Anahuacalli remained largely unrealized. He passed away in 1957, leaving the project incomplete. His wife, Frida Kahlo, ensured the museum’s completion and official opening in 1964, though Rivera’s dream of a bustling “City of Arts” never materialized.
Diego Rivera Museum: soviet star built on the floor’s terrace of the museum. Don’t forget to step out to see the views of the lava sea and rugged nature of the region in Mexico City from the rooftop of the museum. The Anahuacalli terrace offers views that inspired the artist to create this place.
The Anahuacalli stands as a testament to Rivera’s legacy. It’s a well-organized, yet underrated art museum and an architectural marvel! Its pre-historic art collection is inspirational and educational for us to learn about the ancient wisdom and artistic spirit of the peoples of Mexico. It is a unique temple of Mexican art that you must see in person!
Anahuacalli museum of Diego Rivera is showing a vast collection of pre-Hispanic figures. Throughout his lifetime, Diego Rivera collected numerous sculptures and objects of pre-Hispanic art. Later in life, he built the space to house his collection and for others to enjoy the archeological collection today.
The ticket to the Frida Kahlo Museum includes admission to the Diego Rivera-Anahuacalli Museum! More information:https://museoanahuacalli.org.mx/
Leon Trotsky’s Turbulent Exile in Mexico City: a story of defiance and assassination captured inside the house-museum
Trotsky house-museum is situated very close to the Blue House and is worth your visit! It doesn’t require advanced reservations as it’s half-empty and obviously not as known to the West as Frida Kahlo’s art.
View from the street of Leon Trotsky’ house
Leon Trotsky, a towering figure of the Russian Revolution, found himself ostracized and hunted after falling out of favor with Joseph Stalin. His exile in Mexico City from 1937 to 1940 was a period of immense personal struggle, marked by intellectual defiance, political isolation, and ultimately, a brutal assassination.
From Revolutionary Hero to Exiled Pariah:
Trotsky’s early life was a whirlwind of revolutionary fervor. A brilliant orator and organizer, he played a pivotal role in the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution, becoming Lenin’s right-hand man. However, ideological clashes with Stalin led to his expulsion from the Communist Party and the Soviet Union in 1929. He embarked on a nomadic journey, bouncing from Turkey to France, Norway, and finally, Mexico, desperately seeking refuge.
One of rooms in a spacious Trotsky house-museum
Finding Solace in Coyoacán:
Mexico City’s Coyoacán neighborhood offered Trotsky a temporary haven. He and his wife Natalia Sedova settled in a fortified compound, dubbed “Fortress Trotsky.” Despite the constant threat of Stalin’s assassins, Trotsky remained intellectually active. He wrote prolifically, criticizing Stalin’s regime and advocating for a global proletarian revolution. His magnum opus, “The Revolution Betrayed,” became a scathing indictment of Stalinism.
House library at the Trotsky residence in Mexico CityBathtub at the Trotsky house
A Beacon for Leftists, a Target for Stalin:
Trotsky’s exile attracted a motley crew of supporters, including painters Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo. His home became a hub for leftist intellectuals and revolutionaries, who saw him as a beacon of hope against Stalin’s tyranny. However, this notoriety also made him a prime target for Stalin’s agents. Assassination attempts became a grim reality, culminating in the tragic events of August 20, 1940.
Leon Trotsky & Diego Rivera, one of many photographs displayed at the house-museum
A Brutal End to a Tumultuous Life:
Ramón Mercader, a Spanish communist recruited by Stalin’s secret police, infiltrated Trotsky’s inner circle. Gaining Trotsky’s trust, Mercader struck with an ice axe. While Trotsky initially survived, he succumbed to his injuries the next day. His assassination silenced a major critic of Stalinism and marked a tragic end to a life defined by revolutionary zeal and relentless pursuit of his ideals.
Mexican police showing the ice axe used by Mercader in the crime killing Trotsky.
Trotsky’s Legacy: A Complex Tale of Revolution and Exile
Trotsky’s legacy remains complex and contested. He is revered by some as a champion of socialist democracy and a tireless fighter for the working class. Others condemn him for his role in the Bolshevik Red Terror and his unwavering commitment to a revolution that ultimately paved the way for Stalin’s dictatorship.
His exile in Mexico City, however, stands as a testament to his unwavering defiance and intellectual commitment. Though ostracized and hunted, Trotsky remained a thorn in Stalin’s side, his voice echoing through his writings and inspiring future generations of revolutionaries. Trotsky’s story is a cautionary tale of the dangers of political idealism and the dark undercurrents of revolution. Yet, it also serves as a reminder of the power of dissent and the importance of fighting for one’s convictions, even in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds.
My husband and I traveled the romantic road in Germany and this palace was a great start. The Würzburg Residence’s exterior is reminiscent of French Chateau architecture and features opulent rooms in Baroque and “Würzburg rococo” styles. It’s a feast for the eyes if you feel inspired by the visual beauty. Constructed in the 18th century, this architectural marvel emerged from the genius of Balthasar Neumann. Unlike many other European palaces, the Würzburg Residence was built in its entirety within one generation.
#1 A perfect blend of Baroque architecture and Rococo style
Commissioned by Prince-Bishop Johann Philipp Franz von Schönborn (reigned 1755-1779), the Würzburg Residence is a must-see palace! Its so beautiful and the Mirror Cabinet is one-of-a-kind room that I’ve never seen before. It features exuberant decoration of white stucco, gold leaf, sculpture, color and the reverse glass painting giving the room magical appeal. Nearly demolished during the World War II, it was reconstructed to its former glory of lavish opulence.
The court architect, Balthasar Neumann (born in 1687) oversaw the construction project that would span nearly 24 years. Neumann, merged the elements of Baroque and Rococo styles in one palace. Neumann worked with top architects of Germany and France – Lucas von Hildebrandt, Maximilian von Welsch, Robert de Cotte and Germain Boffrand, and many artists under the guidance of Antonio Bossi. Johann Wolfgang van der Auwera from Würzburg and Georg Adam Guthmann were the gifted sculptors and woodcarvers, and Giovanni Battista Tiepolo painted the frescoes in the 18th century.
What is the difference between Baroque style and Rococo?
Baroque art is a style of art that originated in Italy in the late 16th century and spread throughout Europe in the 17th and 18th centuries. It’s known for its dramatic, emotional, exuberant impact and exaggerated movement of figures. Baroque artists used a variety of techniques to create their art, including exaggerated movement, high contrast, twisting and turning figures and elements, and rich color palettes. Baroque architecture and art features the opulence and exuberance that contrasts medieval modesty in art.
Rococo style is a later development of Baroque art that emerged in France in the early 18th century. It’s known for its lightness, elegance, and playfulness. Rococo artists often used soft, pastel colors, curved lines, and elaborate ornamentation in their works similar to the Baroque art.
This table summarizes some of the key differences between Baroque art and Rococo style:
Characteristic
Baroque art
Rococo style
Time period
17th and 18th centuries
18th century
Origin
Italy
France
Overall style
Dramatic, emotional, and grandiose
Light, elegant, and playful
Subject matter
Often religious, but also mythological and historical
Often secular, depicting scenes of everyday life and leisure
Color palette
Rich and vibrant
Soft and pastel
Lines and shapes
Bold and angular
Curved and delicate
Ornamentation
Elaborate and ornate
More restrained and elegant
Some examples of Baroque art include:
The Rape of the Sabines by Peter Paul Rubens
The Ecstasy of Saint Teresa by Gian Lorenzo Bernini
The Palace of Versailles in France
The Trevi Fountain in Rome
Some examples of Rococo style include:
The Swing by Jean-Honoré Fragonard
The Pilgrimage to Cythera by Antoine Watteau
The Amalienburg in Munich
The Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna
#2 The beauty of reverse glass painting at the Mirror Cabinet
The Mirror cabinet at the Würzburg Residence is a stunning room of art I haven’t seen anywhere else in Europe.
The recreation of the Mirror Cabinet
If you walk through the rooms, you’ll see pictures taken after the WWII showing the ruins of the city. The palace was reconstructed based on written materials, fragments and drawings.
The precious wall decoration of the Mirror Cabinet with the reverse glass painting created in 1740-1745 was almost completely destroyed in 1945. Only the furniture, the chandeliers and two door wings had been stored beforehand in a safe place. Since the glass plates had been plastered directly onto the wall, the first one had broken when an attempt was made to remove it. The reconstruction was based primarily on this original fragment, an extremely detailed painting of the room by Georg Dehn and numerous color slides taken by Carl Lamb in 1944.
From 1979-1987 it was thus possible to recreate the entire interior, imitating the old techniques. The stuccowork alone took 27,000 hours to complete, while the gilders spent 30,000 hours applying 2.5 kilos of gold leaf. The artist Wolfgang Lenz reconstructed the complex reverse glass painting.
On 16 March 1945 Würzburg suffered the same fate as Rotterdam, Coventry, Hamburg or Dresden. Within 17 minutes, 225 Lancaster bombers of the Royal Air Force dropped about 400 tones of high-explosive bombs and more than 300,000 stick-type incendiary bombs. Würzburg was razed to the ground by a gigantic storm of fire; 90 per cent of the historic city center was destroyed, and at least 5000 people were killed. But this was not the end of the war. Before American Forces reached the banks of the River Main below Marienberg Fortress on 2 April, the German Armed Forces blew up all bridges and prepared to defend the ruins of the city. Only after heavy artillery fire and three days of fierce fighting, with numerous military and civilian casualties, were American troops able to capture the whole of Würzburg on 6 April 1945.
Source: taken from the writing at the museum
The reverse glass painting:
Mirror Cabinet mirrors by Johann Michael Feuchtmeyer, closeup at the Würzburg Residence
What is the reverse glass painting?
The Reverse glass painting, also known as verre églomisé, is a traditional decorative art technique where a design is painted on the backside of a piece of glass or glass plates, typically using oil or acrylic paints. The term “reverse” comes from the fact that the painting is viewed through the glass from the front, which is the opposite of traditional painting on canvas or other surfaces. The technique allows for a unique luminosity and depth to the colors due to the transparency of the glass, creating a distinct visual effect. To create a reverse glass painting, the artist begins by tracing a design onto the back of a piece of glass. The design is then painted in reverse order, starting with the smallest and most detailed elements and working towards the background. Once the painting is complete, the glass is flipped over, varnished and framed so that the image can be viewed from the front.
Wurzburg Reference | A closeup of the reverse glass painting recreated in the Mirror Cabinet at the Residence.
The history of reverse glass painting can be traced back to at least the 10th century in China. The earliest known examples of reverse glass paintings from China are religious icons, which were often used to decorate temples and shrines. Reverse glass painting was also popular in Europe during the Middle Ages and Renaissance. During this time, it was used to create religious stained glass windows, devotional panels, and mirrors. In the 17th and 18th centuries, reverse glass painting became increasingly popular as a folk art form. It was especially popular in Germany, Switzerland, and Poland, where it was used to create decorative objects for the home, such as clocks, picture frames, and furniture.
The Würzburg Residence reminded me of the Hermitage and the Catherine Palace with its Grand Staircase consisting of twisting figures and white staircase. Designed by the court architect-Neumann, the rooms have unique coloring of light, gentle hues and absolutely gorgeous stucco work. Paired with crystal chandeliers and frescoes, this palace stands at par with top palaces found in Europe.
You can find White Hall statues by Johann Peter Wagner & the Tiepolo frescoes at the Residence.
The Imperial Hall features stunning celestial frescoes by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo. The Court Chapel consists of Baroque-style columns, sculpture and art that seem to be transported from the St. Peter’s Basilica’s interior. Lavish, ethereal creations created by artist- Antonio Giuseppe Bossi- take a while to process because of its beautiful interplay of light and shadow, color and air.
The Court Chapel at the Wurzburg Residence
The 3-D floor design:
Found in the Green Lacquered Room, the three-dimensional parquet design is a fascinating circular pattern of inlaid light and dark exotic woods. The floor was destroyed completely in the WWII and it took years to understand the pattern to reconstruct it out of 8 different kinds of woods. The floor design is similar to the Italian designs found in other European palaces.
The Garden of the Residence
Don’t forget to visit beautiful garden of the Residence by Balthasar Neumann designed during the reign of the Prince Bishop of Würzburg, Adam Friedrich von Seinsheim. Created by the Johann Prokop Mayer (1735-1804), the grounds are reminiscent of French design. It’s well-maintained and is a nice spot to take pictures.
Würzburg Residence tickets and parking: There is a large parking lot available in front of the Residence. Plus street parking is easy too. I visited the palace in early September 2023 and it wasn’t crowded at all. The single adult ticket was under $10 and they give great discounts to children, students, etc. They don’t allow any kind of bag/backpack inside the palace and so you need to have one euro to use their free locker. The administration also offers Würzburg Residence tours.
All photos are taken by Veronica Winters posted with permission of the Bavarian Palace Administration. No copying or re-print is allowed without a written permission from both parties. Courtesy of the Bavarian Palace Administration www.schloesser.bayern.de
Born in Milan, Giuseppe Arcimboldo was a rather mysterious Italian painter who lived from 1526 to 1593. He is known for his optical illusion portrait paintings or composite heads, which are made of a variety of objects such as fruits, vegetables, fish, flowers, books, twigs, and animals arranged to create a human form. His innovative style of portrait painting that looks fresh and contemporary even today, was appreciated by his royal patrons during his lifetime. The artist fell into obscurity after his death until the Dada and surrealism movements re-discovered the artist. Arcimboldo’s portraits were symbolic and allegorical, representing various aspects of nature and political power of the Habsburg’s royalty.
Just like any Italian Renaissance artist Arcimboldo went through years of schooling in a workshop of a master artist first. Artists received training in several related fields that included sculpture, architecture, craft and design, not just painting. He was highly skilled in a variety of painting techniques, including oil painting, fresco, and tempera. After that the artist began his artistic career as a designer of stained glass windows for the cathedral. Arcimboldo was called to Vienna in 1562 by Maximilian to become a court painter for the Habsburg emperors in Vienna and Prague, creating portraits and other paintings for the royal family-Emperor Ferdinand I of Habsburg (1503-1564), then his son Maximilian II (1527-1576) and his son, the Emperor Rudolf II. Besides portrait painting, Arcimboldo also designed elaborate celebrations for the court, including weddings, festivals, pageants and coronations. He created exuberant special effects and made drawings for the Habsburg family. He also painted landscapes, still lifes, and religious scenes there before returning to Milan in 1587.
Giuseppe Arcimboldo, Four Seasons in One Head, 1590, The National Gallery of Art, Washington DC. | In this painting we can see an old man made of twigs, flowers and fruit that’s probably a self-portrait of an aged artist, painted not long before his death. The National Gallery acquired the painting from a New York dealer. The tree-trunk face is grumpy old and comical, but vivid cherries, grape leaves and apples form a nature’s-made crown he deserved to carry.
Some of Arcimboldo’s most famous weird paintings are:
Arcimboldo painted several copies of the same idea in his paintings that the emperors gifted to other royalty members and important figures in the European court. That’s why we can see similar paintings in different art museums these days. Arcimboldo painted the Seasons series several times! Some copies were made on canvas rather than on wood, considering easy transportation of art. (Canvas is light while wood panels are much heavier). The Four seasons and The Four Elements are his most famous paintings that were dedicated to Maximillian in 1569.
“The Four Seasons” (a series of four paintings, each representing a season of the year)
Arcimboldo, Four Seasons at the Louvre, Paris, France https://collections.louvre.fr/en/ark:/53355/cl010065017 | Commissioned by Emperor Maximilian II (1527 -1576) for Elector Augustus of Saxony (1526-1586), the paintings show some symbolism representing the royal court. The crossed swords of Meissen and the coat of arms of Saxony appearing on the winter coat, and the date of 1573 inscribed on the shoulder of L’ Summer, signed by the artist.
The Four Seasons have multiple layers of meaning. The obvious one is the change of seasons but the four paintings may also suggest the four ages of man: childhood, adolescence, maturity and old age as well as everlasting peace and abundance of the Hapsburg’s empire.
Giuseppe Arcimboldo, La Primavera, Spring, The Four Seasons series, oil, 1570s
“The Four Elements” (a series of four paintings, each representing an element of nature)
In antiquity, four elements were believed to compose all matter. In Arcimboldo’s art these elements contain additional meaning and symbolism suggesting the political power of the royal family.
Arcimboldo, Water, the Elements series, 1566, Vienna, Austria
A poem by Giovanni Battista Fonteo offered to the Emperor in 1569, together with a series of Seasons and another on the Elements, gives voice to the allegorical heads, each of which reveals the power of the empire whose power is part of an infinite time, throughout the eternal cycle of the seasons.
the Louvre
Giuseppe Arcimboldo, the Waiter, 88 x 67 cm, oil on canvas, private collection, 1570s
Other famous paintings include: “The Librarian”- a portrait of a man composed of books and other library-related objects.
“Vertumnus” – a portrait of the Holy Roman Emperor Rudolf II, depicting him as the Roman god of the seasons and change.
“The Waiter”- a portrait of a man consisting of barrels and jugs.
Arcimboldo-inspired etchings, Anonymous, Italian, 16th to early 17th century, http://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/656760
Art style & symbolism
Giuseppe Arcimboldo worked during the Late Renaissance period, and his work is often associated with the Mannerist style, although I think he has little in common with this art style. Mannerism (1520s-1600) was an art style that emphasized the distortion of human figure. It’s known for excessive twisting of poses and highly-detailed but artificial representation of space and figures. Figures were very elongated like they had some extra bones and thus were incorrect anatomically. Of course, it was intentional as artists probably wanted to get away from classical representation of human form. Famous mannerist painters are Parmigianino, Vasari, Bronzino and El Greco. Like other Mannerist painters, Arcimboldo’s work pushed the boundaries of traditional painting techniques and classical conventions but he didn’t paint the elongated figures. His art was a precursor to surrealism being rich in symbolism and illusion, manifesting incredible creativity, wit, and ingenuity.
A young woman and her little boy, Bronzino, 1540, National gallery of art, Washington DC
He used objects to create the illusion of a face. Some of Arcimboldo’s inspiration comes from Leonardo da Vinci who worked in Milan in late 1400s. In the da Vinci’s sketches we can find grotesque figures and faces that may have influenced the artist.
Bust of woman with protruding mouth, etching by Wenceslaus Hollar after Da Vinci, 1660, the only state, the Metropolitan Museum of Art. | Printmakers made “copies” of famous art to disseminate them to wider audiences. This etching shows a grotesque female figure that Da Vinci sketched. Similar figures and portraits by Da Vinci probably influenced Arcimboldo while he lived in Milan.
Maximilian’s personal interest included the study of nature as scientists collected specimens studying the natural world. There were numerous objects in the imperial art collection displayed in special chambers. The art collection display included weird metalsmith objects like a nautilus seashell becoming a chicken or a coconut as a drinking cup.
Arcimboldo, The Elements series, Earth, oil on wood, 70 x 48.5 cm, 1570, private collection
Arcimboldo’s portraits look like puzzles that have allegorical meanings. While Giuseppe Arcimboldo sought to explore the connections between humans and the natural world, the symbolism of ripe fruits and vegetables is quite subtle – it points at the abundant nature of the Empire. The symbolism of his paintings serve as glorification and celebration of the royal court and its power. For example in one of his paintings of four seasons- Fire is a composite portrait of a man made of flames and fire-related objects. Those objects are the fire striker is the Hapsburg’s emblem that forms the nose and ear. The spark probably suggests the power of the royal family. Pendants are the imperial symbols -the golden ram and the double-headed eagle. The Earth has the suggested crown with some imperial emblems including the ram’s skin and the lion’s skin, which suggest the connection to the Golden Fleece and Hercules. Water represents the sea life with many aqua species. Air is made of a flock of colorful birds. As The Four seasons and The Four Elements were dedicated to Maximillian, they celebrated the Habsburg’s empire and reign over the seasons. As seasons cycle and change, the empire remains eternal though all of them.
Arcimboldo, Fire, Four Elements Series, 76 x 51 cm, oil on wood, 1566, Vienna, AustriaArcimboldo, the Cook, Visual Pun series, oil on canvas, 52x41cm, 1570, Sweden | His invertible paintings are fascinating as well. A grotesque figure of a cook is reminiscent of da Vinci’s grotesque faces. Invertible paintings can be rotated upside down to reveal a different image and meaning.Arcimboldo, Vertumnus (Emperor Rudolph II), 68 x 56 cm, oil on wood, 1591, Sweden
Maximilian’s son -Rudolf II moved the court to Prague. So his art display of objects and art got housed in Prague castle. While the artist returned to Milan, he still painted for the court and created one of his best paintings – “Vertumnus” – a portrait of the Holy Roman Emperor Rudolf II, depicting him as the Roman god of the seasons, nature and change. The symbolism suggests peace, abundance and prosperity of the empire.
Arcimboldo. I took this picture at the Soumaya museum in Mexico city that’s why it has such a reflection, but you can see that it’s a variant on the theme of 4 seasons he painted for the court.
Design and Architecture
Besides painting, Arcimboldo was also known for his skills in design and architecture. He was appointed as court architect and was responsible for designing and overseeing the construction of various buildings, including the castle at Prague and the cathedral at Olomouc in the Czech Republic.
Arcimboldo’s designs include:
The Castle at Prague – Arcimboldo was appointed court architect by Emperor Maximilian II, and one of his first major projects was the redesign of the castle at Prague. He created a number of decorative elements for the castle, including frescoes and stucco work.
The Cathedral at Olomouc – Arcimboldo was also responsible for the design of the cathedral at Olomouc, which is located in the Czech Republic. He created a number of decorative elements for the cathedral, including the intricate stucco work and the sculptural reliefs on the exterior.
The Jesuit College at Vienna – Arcimboldo also designed the Jesuit College at Vienna, which was one of the most important educational institutions in the city at the time. The building featured a number of intricate decorative elements, including frescoes and stucco work.
The New Castle at Prague – Arcimboldo was also involved in the redesign of the New Castle at Prague, which was used as a residence by the Habsburgs. He created a number of decorative elements for the castle, including frescoes and stucco work.
In art collections
The Instruments of Human Sustenance in the manner of Arcimboldo-the Metropolitan Museum of Art http://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/367504
Arcimboldo’s paintings are held in private and public collections around the world. In Italy, his paintings can be found in the Pinacoteca di Brera in Milan. The Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna and the Louvre Museum in Paris also hold significant collections of his work. At the Met you can find engravings done in the manner of Arcimboldo’s art. It was common to “copy” and distribute popular paintings via lithography and etchings. Denver Art Museum displays variants of “Summer,” 1572 and “Autumn.” The National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. has one painting but many are in private collections today. According to the Smithsonian magazine ( https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/arcimboldos-feast-for-the-eyes-74732989/ ) the Kunstkammer was looted during the Thirty Years’ War (1618-48), and a number of Arcimboldo’s paintings were carried off to Sweden. The composite heads disappeared into private collections, and Arcimboldo would remain rather obscure until the 20th century, when painters from Salvador Dali to Pablo Picasso are said to have rediscovered him. He has been hailed as the grandfather of Surrealism.
Symbols of transformation in art can represent various concepts, such as growth, change, rebirth, and metamorphosis. They represent the process of personal growth, which is often painful and difficult but because we’re able to overcome our challenges, the process of transformation happens to renew our souls. As a result, symbols of transformation in art, music, and literature often represent the journey of the soul or the process of self-discovery. Here you’ll find some of the most common symbols of transformation, most of them having multiple meanings depending on context and culture.
Create, colored pencil drawing, 19×25 inches
What are the symbols and meanings of transformation in art?
Tree
Magic Tree Portal, colored pencil drawing on matboard, 20x30in by Veronica Winters
The tree is a common symbol of growth and transformation because it grows from a seed into a large, complex organism. It can also represent strength, stability, and resilience. The concept of a “Tree of Life” is present in every ancient culture on our planet. It has the everlasting quality and wisdom, connecting the Earth to both Heaven and the Underworld.
The Aztecs believed that gods traveled up and down the Ceiba tree, a cotton tree with a large, broad trunk. Some scholars believe it served as a model for the Mesoamerican world tree, connecting the underworld, earthly realm, and heavens.
Tree of Life, mural design of the indigenous peoples, Mexico city, photo-veronica winters
Water
Water is a powerful symbol of transformation in art, representing the ability to cleanse, purify, and renew oneself. It’s constantly changing form and shape, from liquid to vapor to ice. In myths and art we often see gold or silver chalices filled with water to use in mythical ceremonies. In Christian religious ceremonies water represents purification, renewal, and regeneration.
Descend, oil painting on canvas, 36×48 inches, Veronica Winters
Butterflies
Butterflies are often used as symbols of transformation in art, representing the process of metamorphosis from a caterpillar to a beautiful winged creature. It’s seen as a symbol of rebirth, renewal, and resurrection. It can also represent the journey of self-discovery, as the caterpillar must shed its skin and emerge from its cocoon in order to become a butterfly. The butterfly is a symbol of transformation because it begins its life as a caterpillar and then undergoes a metamorphosis into a beautiful butterfly. This process can be seen as a metaphor for the journey of the soul, as we all undergo changes and transformations throughout our lives.
Butterflies printed on ancient Greek golden disks (top image) were excavated in ancient site of Mycenae, Greece. They date to 16 BCE. A butterfly was a symbol of the soul in the ancient Greek world.Cocoon was a symbol of rebirth. Pomegranate was a symbol of bounty. Gold balances represented the weighting of the soul in the Underworld. | Photo: Veronica Wintersblooming heart colored pencil drawing by veronica winters
Moth – Similar to the butterfly, the moth is also a symbol of transformation due to its metamorphosis from a cocoon. However, it is often associated with darker, more mysterious transformation.
Canova, Cupid and Psyche, marble sculpture at the Louvre, photo: Veronica Winters
The lotus
Bliss, 18x24in, closeup of oil painting by veronica winters
The lotus is a symbol of purity and enlightenment in Asian cultures, as it grows from the mud at the bottom of a pond and emerges into the sunlight. It can represent the journey of spiritual growth, as we strive to rise above our limitations and achieve a higher level of understanding. We often see the representation of Buddha and Bodhisattvas sitting on an open lotus.
Ancient Egyptian blue lotus art found in Florence’s archeological museum. Photo: Veronica Winters
We can find the depictions of the blue lotus in Egyptian culture that is said to have psychedelic powers. The lotus grows in muddy water and yet produces beautiful flowers that can be seen as a metaphor for the process of overcoming adversity and finding beauty in the midst of darkness.
Where Joy Blooms, 12×16 inches, oil and aluminum leaf on panel, unframed, available Blue lily dream, 20×30 inches, colored pencil on art board by Veronica Winters
The yin and yang
The yin and yang symbol is a symbol of balance and harmony. It can represent the duality of nature, as everything has its opposite. It can also represent the journey of self-integration, as we strive to find balance within ourselves. We must have both light and dark to live in balance and understand and experience all feelings. Nature also finds harmony in this constantly shifting duality.
Are there any artistic symbols in the article that stand out to you? Custom Keychains can help you remember these time-honored and meaningful patterns.
The Triquetra
The triquetra is a symbol that has been used by many cultures and religions throughout history, but it is perhaps best known as a Celtic Trinity Knot symbol that represents the concept of unity and interconnectedness. The word “triquetra” comes from Latin, and it means “three-cornered.” The symbol itself consists of three interlocking loops or arcs, forming a shape that resembles three interconnected circles or a trefoil knot.
In Celtic culture, the triquetra was often used to represent the three aspects of the goddess, or the three realms of earth, sea, and sky. It was also used as a symbol of the Holy Trinity in Christianity, with the three loops representing the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. In other cultures, the triquetra has been used to represent other concepts such as past, present, and future, or birth, life, and death. It has also been associated with various mystical and spiritual beliefs, such as the power of threes and the interconnectedness of all things.
Snake
In Latin America:
“Feathered Serpent” at the National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City
The snake is a symbol of transformation in many cultures because it sheds its skin and emerges with a new, fresh appearance. It can also represent healing and wisdom. In some ancient Latin American cultures snakes represented the energy of everything living. The Mexica’s conceptually related serpents to water, earth, sky, and rebirth, depicting them traveling across the sky. In the Mayan “Stone of the Sun”, fire serpents carried the sun across Heaven.
feathered serpent, 20x30in, colored pencil on art board, Veronica Winters
The Typhon is a massive serpentine monster with wings, which represents chaos and destructive power. This is somewhat different from the more positive symbolism of the caduceus.
http://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/364035Serpent Column or Delphi Tripod in Delphi, Greece, photo: V Winters
In the context of the Eleusian Mysteries, Triptolemus rides a winged snake chariot to teach people agriculture.
Triptolemos and Persephone, tondo of a red-figure Attic cup, ca. 470 BC–460 BC. Notice, that Triptolemos is riding a chariot with winged snakes.Marble relief of Triptolemos, Demeter and Persephone. Archaeological Museum of Eleusis, Greece. | Photo: Veronica Winters
The winged snake The term “Ophis Pterotos” (Ὄφις Πτερωτός) literally translates to “Winged Serpent” in ancient Greek. In ancient Greek myths, we can see some chariots run by snakes (Medea in a chariot, Cleveland Museum of Art) or Triptolemos riding a winged snake chariot here.
Some scholars suggest that the Winged Serpent was more of a philosophical and mystical concept rather than a specific mythological beast. It embodied ideas of wisdom, transformation, and the ability to transcend physical limitations – much like the snake’s ability to shed its skin and seemingly be reborn. The winged snake represented divine wisdom, transformation and transcendence. It signified the connection between earthly and divine realms, which makes a lot of sense in terms of the Eleusian Mysteries. The snake is also associated with mystical and philosophical concepts, being closely related to the caduceus of Hermes and connected to concepts of healing and regeneration as Asclepius (the god of medicine) was often depicted with a snake. Influenced by ancient Greek culture, the Romans copied and adopted art, symbols, and myths. In Roman times the snake symbol represented Immortality. We can view many golden bracelets in the shape of a snake in archeological museums.Red-Figure Calyx-Krater (Mixing Vessel): Medea in Chariot (A); Telephos with Baby Orestes (B), c. 400 BCE.
Near the Policoro Painter (South Italian, Lucanian, active c. 400 BCE). Ceramic; diameter of mouth: 49.9 cm (19 5/8 in.); overall: 50.5 cm (19 7/8 in.); diameter of foot: 22 cm (8 11/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Leonard C. Hanna, Jr. Fund 1991.1 https://clevelandart.org/art/1991.1
As an example, in this ancient Greek vase, we can also see two snakes and Medea riding in a chariot.
In ancient Greek mythology, winged snakes (or serpents) were not extremely common, but they did appear with significant symbolic meaning. The most clear example is associated with the caduceus, the staff of Hermes (Mercury in Roman mythology). This staff typically features two snakes intertwined around a winged rod, symbolizing commerce, negotiation, and divine messenger roles.
The symbolism of winged snakes in Greek mythology often represented:
Divine messenger qualities
Transformation
Wisdom and secret knowledge
Mediation between earthly and divine realms
In Roman mythology, the symbolism remained largely similar. The caduceus was adopted from Greek mythology, maintaining its associations with Hermes/Mercury as a god of travelers, merchants, and boundaries. The winged aspect suggested swift movement and transcendence, while the snakes symbolized wisdom, healing, and regeneration.
Terracotta lekythos (oil flask), Attributed to the Tithonos Painter, ca. 480–470 BCE http://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/251800 The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Fletcher Fund, 1925 (25.78.2) Hermes, the messenger god, wears winged sandals and carries a herald’s staff, a kerykeion, which terminates in entwined snakes.
In Roman interpretations, winged snakes could also appear in religious and mystical contexts, often representing divine communication or supernatural transitions between different states of being. It’s worth noting that while the core symbolism remained relatively consistent, Romans were more likely to adapt and pragmatize mythological symbols compared to the more mystically-oriented Greeks. The winged snake maintained its core symbolic essence of wisdom, transformation, and divine communication, but with slightly different cultural nuances.
The snake was a powerful symbol of immortality in both ancient Greek and Roman cultures. Asclepius (the god of medicine) was often depicted with a snake, symbolizing healing and regenerative powers.
In Roman culture, the snake symbolism became even more prominent in jewelry and decorative arts:
Ouroboros-golden snake bracelet and other golden snake bracelets displayed in Pompeii | photos: Veronica Winters
Serpent motifs in jewelry often represented eternal love, protection, and immortality
Funerary art frequently used snake imagery to suggest the continuation of life after death
Wealthy Romans would wear snake-themed bracelets and rings as both decorative items and symbolic talismans
The Ouroboros – a snake eating its own tail – was an especially powerful symbol in both cultures. This image originated in ancient Egyptian mythology but was widely adopted by Greek and Roman philosophers and mystics. It represented:
Eternity
The cyclical nature of life and death
Infinite renewal
The eternal return of all things
Interestingly, the snake’s association with immortality wasn’t just metaphorical. In medical and philosophical traditions, snakes were seen as creatures that seemed to transcend normal biological limitations through their skin-shedding process. This gave them an almost magical quality of perpetual renewal.
In both Greek and Roman mythology, snakes were often associated with chthonic (underworld) deities, further emphasizing their connection to the mysteries of life, death, and rebirth. The snake wasn’t just a symbol of physical immortality, but also of spiritual continuity and transformation. So when you see ancient Greek or Roman jewelry with snake motifs, it’s likely representing much more than just an aesthetic choice – it’s a deeply symbolic representation of life’s eternal cycle, renewal, and the hope of transcending mortal limitations.
The octagon and the star octagram
The octagon and the star octagram is a polygon with 8 sides and angles. We find it as the shape of buildings and rooms. It is also one of the most beautiful geometric shapes in Islamic art and architecture, where it is used in the design of mosques, carpets, and other decorative objects.
This is a closeup of a ceiling I saw in Seville with the octagram pattern throughout the ceiling.
The star octagram, also known as the octagram, is a shape that consists of two overlapping squares, forming an eight-pointed star. The octagram said to represent balance, harmony, and the connection between heaven and earth. In some contexts, it is also associated with magic and mystical beliefs. In Christianity, the octagram has been used as a symbol of resurrection and new life, as it is formed by combining the square (representing the earthly world) with the circle (representing the divine or heavenly realm). In Jewish tradition, the star octagram is known as the Star of David and is a symbol of the Jewish people and their faith.
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Birds – Birds are often used as symbols of transformation in art, particularly in Native American and ancient Egyptian cultures. They represent the ability to soar to new heights and transform oneself. The phoenix is a mythical bird, a symbol of rebirth, as it is said to rise from the ashes of its own destruction. It’s often depicted in red-yellow colors mimicking the fire. It can represent the hope that even after a difficult time, there is always the possibility of renewal, as we all have the ability to overcome challenges and come out stronger on the other side. The phoenix is a powerful symbol of transformation, resurrection, and immortality.
The Hummingbird
A spiritual symbol, the hummingbird is a tiny, colorful bird that is known for its rapid wing beats and ability to hover in the air. In many cultures, it is considered a symbol of joy, love, beauty, and positive energy. Its presence is believed to bring joy and happiness, and it is often seen as a messenger of hope and renewal.
In Native American traditions, the hummingbird is often seen as a messenger of joy and happiness. Its rapid wing beats are believed to create a vibration that can bring positive energy and lightness of being to those around it. The bird is also associated with love and harmony, and its presence is said to be a sign of good luck in matters of the heart. In other cultures, such as in Central and South America, the hummingbird is associated with energy, vitality, and transformation. Its ability to hover in the air is seen as a symbol of agility and adaptability, and its brightly colored feathers are believed to represent the sun and its life-giving energy.
Masks
Masks are often used as symbols of transformation in art, particularly in African cultures. They represent the ability to transform oneself into a different being or persona. The Venetian masks counseled the real person in carnivals. Artists often use the mask as a symbol of revealing your true self “once all masks get removed” metaphorically speaking.
Promises: Lovers of Venice, 18×24″ oil on gilded panel, available
Skull
Although the skull is associated with death and the impermanence of life, it can also be seen as a symbol of transformation because it represents the cycle of life and death, or the idea of rebirth or transformation after death.
apotheosis of war 12×16-veronica winters
The Wheel & Circles
The flower of life, colored pencil drawing on paper, 18×25″
The wheel is a symbol of transformation because it represents the cycle of life and death. This can be seen as a metaphor for the journey of the soul, as we all go through cycles of growth and change throughout our lives.
Circles are often used as symbols of transformation in art, as they represent the cycle of life and the process of change and growth. Circles are often the depictions of the divine in life. Circles become a part of many geometric shapes in sacred geometry including a geometric pattern-the flower of life.
Dove of Love, 24×36 in, mixed media on canvas | The painting features the flower of life geometric symbol.
The Sun
The sun has various interpretations depending on culture and time. In Egypt, the god of the sun was Horus often shown in a human form with a falcon head that was also represented as a beetle crossing the sky. Horus held the supreme power over the universe as creator and sustainer in Egyptian mythology.
“The god of the rising sun grants life and dominion over all that the sun encircles for one million one hundred thousand years…”
Ancient Egyptian sign. the Met
Faience Wedjat-eye amulet, Egyptian, ca. 1090–900 BCE, on view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 171
The Egyptian god Horus had a human body and the head of a falcon. His eye represents the sun, whose setting and rising symbolizes loss and recovery in Egypt. | http://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/243794Relief panel showing two baboons offering the wedjat eye to the sun god Khepri, who holds the Underworld sign, Late Period–Ptolemaic Period, 400–200 BC. Two baboons offer wedjat eyes to Khepri, the newborn sun in a beetle form. Khepri (the beetle) holds a disk with a star above it that represents the Underworld. The sun with the rays is below the beetle. According to the Met, the baboons seem to represent Thoth because they hold the wedjat eye signs and wear the shen-rings on their heads that look like the moon disk and horns of the Thoth baboon. http://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/549700Pectoral and Necklace of Sithathoryunet with the Name of Senwosret II, Middle Kingdom, Dynasty 12 Reign: reign of Senwosret II, Date: ca. 1887–1878 B.C. Gold, carnelian, lapis lazuli, turquoise, garnet (pectoral), Gold, carnelian, lapis lazuli, turquoise, green feldspar (necklace). http://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/544232
Discovered in Egypt and dating from the 100s BCE to the 400s CE, the Greek Magical Papyri list a wide variety of plants used in their spells and rituals in ancient Greece! Here are some of the plants and their symbolism that are mentioned:
Peony: Often used in love spells and potions. Lily: Associated with beauty, love, and fertility. Laurel: Symbolizing victory, purification, and prophetic power. Olive: Connected to peace, wisdom, and healing. Poppy: Associated with sleep, death, and dreams. Rue: Used for protection, purification, and healing. Thyme: Associated with courage, strength, and purification. Mint: Used for purification, healing, and love magic. Garlic: A powerful protective herb, often used to ward off evil spirits. Onion: Associated with fertility, protection, and healing. Fig: Symbolizing abundance, prosperity, and fertility.
The Pomegranate
A pomegranate is a fruit associated with both fecundity and death in Greek myths. It’s also written as a symbol of bounty, fertility, rebirth, and the underworld in ancient Greek history.
Golden Pomegranate Heart, oil painting, 5x7in, Veronica Winters
The pomegranate has been associated with funerary beliefs and rituals throughout ancient Greek art. The mythological expression comes from the Greek myth of Persephone, daughter of the goddess Demeter. She spends half of each year in the Underworld after eating the seeds of the pomegranate given by the god of the Underworld and her husband, Hades.
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Best art museums in the world for art lovers offer a unique experience to learn about art history and humanity as we can study art masterpieces in context of socio-economic and political changes rather than from a technical point of view. Top art museums for art lovers offer visitors a chance to appreciate the beauty, cultural significance, creativity, and history of different people from across the world regardless current views on culture appropriation or colonialism issues. While we can argue which must-see museums are the best ones because art is always subjective, I list the 15 best art museums in the world based on the art collection variety, size and overall museum experience. Every art collector and art enthusiast is going to be inspired by these top art museums in Europe and the US.
#1 The Vatican Museums, Vatican City, Italy
The Vatican Museums house an extraordinary art collection of most famous ancient Greco-Roman art, Egyptian art, Italian Renaissance art and Baroque art. The Vatican City has a maze of rooms, hallways, museums, chapels, pavilions, apartments, including the Ethnological Museum and the Pio Clementino Museum as well as beautiful gardens and St. Peter’s Basilica. The Vatican library houses an incredible collection of books, manuscripts, and other documents. Plan to spend a day on the grounds of the Vatican City. You must see:
The Sistine Chapel Ceiling by Michelangelo: This masterpiece is one of the most famous artworks in the world, depicting scenes from the book of Genesis. The ceiling, completed in the early 16th century, is renowned for its monumental beauty and complexity of figures placed in space. Figures twist, turn and stare, carrying Michelangelo’s sculptural quality in painted form. No photography or talking is allowed in the chapel.
The School of Athens by Raphael: This fresco is one of the most famous paintings of High Renaissance art significant as a reflection of Renaissance humanism, depicting a group of ancient Greek philosophers and thinkers. Located in the Vatican Palace, The Raphael Rooms are a series of 4 rooms that include The Transfiguration mural. Just like Leonardo and Michelangelo, Raphael showed thorough planning designing the figures in space with correct perspective and balanced composition.
Raphael, the School of Athens’ fresco closeup. Photo by Veronica Winters, 2021 | These pictures get distorted because of the camera’s angle and lens. In this part of the mural you can see the Michelangelo figure (right). One of Raphael’s frescoes in the Vatican rooms. Photo by Veronica Winters, 2021
The Laocoön Group: Found in 1506, a Hellenistic sculpture from ancient Greece dating from around 40-30 B.C., depicts a priest of Apollo in the city of Troy, Laocoön and his sons being strangled by sea serpents.
Laocoön and his sons in Vatican courtyard, Photo by Veronica Winters, 2008 | According to the museum’s notes “Laocoön warned the Trojans against taking in the wooden horse left by the Greeks outside the city gates. Athena and Poseidon, who were favoring the Greeks, sent two great sea-serpents to kill them. From the Roman point of view, the death of these innocents was crucial to the decision of Aeneas, who heeded Laocoön’s warning, to flee Troy, and this led to the eventual founding of Rome.” Pope Julius II (1503-1513) bought the marble sculpture to display it in the Cortile delle Statue. I don’t know if the information is still correct but I remember from my art history class that Michelangelo ran to see the newly found sculpture to figure out if it were made from a single marble block (and it wasn’t).
The Apollo Belvedere: This ancient Roman sculpture depicts the god Apollo, and is considered one of the greatest works of antiquity because it captures the perfection or the highest ideal of art in human figure. ‘Belvedere’ roughly translates as a ‘beautiful view’ from Italian. Youthful, nude man has just released an arrow from his bow allowing viewers to admire his lifelike beauty made of marble. According to the museum, the sculpture has been dated to the 2nd century A.D. and is considered to be a copy of an original bronze statue of 330-320 B.C.
The Gallery of Maps – a long corridor lined with colorful maps of Italy, commissioned by Pope Gregory XIII in the late 16th century. But to be honest, any hallway or corridor in the Vatican is an amazing work of art that beats the gallery of maps.
The Vatican’s soldier dressed in a form originally designed by Raphael. Photo by Veronica Winters, 2021
The Belvedere Torso is the marble torso with the identity of the figure being open to interpretation for centuries! It’s a beautiful fragment of a Hellenistic statue from ancient Greece. This fragmented statue was found in Rome at the end of the 15th century. “Current hypothesis identifies the male marble sculpture as the Greek hero Ajax, contemplating his suicide. According to the museum’s notes Ajax becomes enraged when Achilles’ armor is awarded to Odysseus and not him during the Trojan Wars and so he kills himself. “The head was leaning sadly towards the right hand which was gripping the sword with which the hero would take his own life. The sculpture dates from the 1st century B.C. and is signed by the Athenian sculptor Apollonios, an artist of the neo-Attic school, who was most probably inspired by a bronze from the first half of the 2nd century B.C.”
The Pietà and St. Peter’s Basilica
The Pietà, a closeup of the marble sculpture by Michelangelo, 1499. Photo by Veronica Winters, 2021
Located in the St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City, the Pietà is an emotional sculpture by the Italian Renaissance artist Michelangelo. It depicts the Virgin Mary holding the dead body of Jesus after his crucifixion. The Renaissance sculpture is one of the most famous artworks in the world. The Pietà was commissioned by Cardinal Jean de Bilhères, who was a French ambassador in Rome. Michelangelo was just 23 years old when he carved the ethereal statue from pure white, Carrara marble in 1499. It is the only piece of sculpture that Michelangelo ever signed.
The Pietà is a powerful and moving work of art. The Virgin Mary is shown grieving the death of her son holding him on her knees, but she is also shown with a sense of peace, hope and faith. Michelangelo was a religious man and he created emotional depiction of the Christian faith. From the technical point Mary appears to be disproportionally tall in comparison to the body of Christ but who really cares when this beautiful sculpture speaks volumes of human emotion.
St. Peter’s Basilica is an architectural marvel on its own right that can’t be missed! It was designed and constructed by several famous architects and artists including Bramante, Michelangelo, Bernini and Maderno. The Baroque art, sculptures, tabernacle and dome inside the basilica impress with their overflowing rich decorum, monumentality, life-like appearance and scale. And while it’s not a museum in a traditional sense, it is one of the top must-see attractions for art lovers in the world.
#2 The Hermitage Museum, Saint Petersburg, Russia
The Hermitage with a carriage, Photo by Veronica Winters, 1997
The Hermitage Museum is one of the largest, top art museums for art lovers in the world, housing over 3 million works of art and artifacts in a Winter Palace where Catherine the Great ruled Russia for 34 years, from 1762 to 1796. Catherine came to power after overthrowing her weak-minded husband, Peter III. The Empress was a highly intelligent woman, shrewd politician and powerful ruler who oversaw a period of great change and expansion for Russia. She promoted education and the arts, and she expanded the Russian Empire into new territories.
Located in a beautiful northern capital of Russia -Saint Petersburg, one of the best art museums in Europe was founded in 1764 when Empress Catherine the Great acquired 225 paintings by Western artists. She displayed her art collection in the private apartments of the palace first, which she called the Hermitage, which means “my solitude” in French. (Russian nobility spoke French until the revolution in 1917). As an avid art collector, Catherine the Great kept expending her art collection that included the antiques, sculpture, porcelain, furniture, giant semi-precious stone vases, jewelry and paintings. So she expended the building for it as well that was called the Great Hermitage and then the New Hermitage Palace after that. Consisting of 6 connected buildings, the “Hermitage complex” is also called the Winter Palace (one of the buildings) because the Empress spent most of her time in it. Her Summer Palace is located in Tsarskoye Selo. Catherine the Great loved to entertain Russian and European royalty with balls, theatre, and masquerades at the palace. The winter palace also held grand receptions and ceremonies for state and government officials. The Hermitage buildings served as a home and workplace for nearly a thousand people, including the Imperial family.
Main rooms in the Hermitage:
The Pavilion Hall
The Pavilion room in the Hermitage, photo: Veronica Winters
The pavilion hall is the most stunning room in the Small Hermitage, designed in the mid-19th century in white and gold hues with oriental and classical decorum by Russian architect Andrei Stakenschneider. It’s so ethereally beautiful it reminds me of a magical, white wedding cake. Big, crystal chandeliers are reminiscent of the Versailles grandeur. In that room you can find big, mechanical clock with a peacock and moving figures, presented to Catherine by her lover Potemkin.
The pavilion room in hermitage-veronica winters art blog
St. George’s or the Great Throne Hall. Designed in neoclassical style in white and gold, the hall features the royal throne for the receptions.
The Armorial Hall. Used for special events, this great hall was created for celebrations. The Alexander Hall is named after Alexander I. In the Concert Hall you”ll find a silver shrine of Alexander Nevsky, the patron saint of St. Petersburg, entirely made of silver.
This short video gives a great overview of the Hermitage showing main rooms in the palace as well as major art collection.
The Malachite room at the Hermitage
Created in 1838, the Malachite room is one of the most valuable drawing rooms in the palace because of its precious stone columns, tables, vases and fireplace decorum. Malachite is a dark green, semi-precious stone coming from the mountain region of Russia – Ural. The room also features golden doors, dark red curtains, gilded elements and incredibly rich, ornate ceilings and wooden floors.
The Diamond Storeroom
The treasury is located away from the excursion routes around the museum, and not everyone knows about it. The secret room displays the jewels of the Romanov dynasty and St. Petersburg collectors, as well as diplomatic gifts, church utensils dating back to the Byzantine era, as well as masterpieces by Faberge, Pozier and other court jewelers. It requires a separate ticket that’s sold in edition to the general admission ticket to the Hermitage.
Art Collection at the Hermitage
If you look at every displayed art object and painting in the palace, it will take you about 8 years to go through everything. At least that’s what they say! In all seriousness, this top art museum is so massive, you can easily spend two days in it. Featuring an extensive collection of European art, the most popular art museum in Russia includes works from the old masters and other famous artists such as Rembrandt, Leonardo da Vinci, Rubens, Van Dyck, Hals, and Vincent van Gogh. The art museum’s collection includes works of art from ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome; paintings from the Renaissance, Baroque, and Rococo periods; and sculptures, tapestries, and other decorative arts from around the world. The Hermitage also has a large collection of Russian art, including paintings by Ilya Repin, Vasily Kandinsky, and Kazimir Malevich. You must reserve the entire day to walk through the best art museum in the world!!!
The Soviets sold over 250 works to the West in early 1930s and so Russian people said good-bye to Jan van Eyck, Titian, Rembrandt, Rubens, Raphael, and many more famous artists! One of super wealthy art collectors was Andrew Mellon who purchased the art and ended up donating his art collection to the government. So these famous paintings are now displayed at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.
Leonardo daVinci, Benois Madonna, 1478
Today you can view the following works in the Hermitage’ art collection:
The Kolyvan vase is a giant stone vase made of jasper by Avraam Melnikov, 1843. It weights almost 19 ton with 8.55 ft in hight.
Leonardo da Vinci’s “Benois Madonna” got its name from a family who owned this painting before it entered the Hermitage’s art collection. it is considered one of the most important works in the museum’s collection.
Copy of an ancient Roman mosaic floor is located in the Pavilion Hall. The artist is unknown.
Canova’s “Cupid and Psyche” marble sculpture, 1808 and “Three graces”, 1816 are so beautiful, they can make you cry. The Hermitage has a collection of 9 sculptures by Canova from the Yusupov collection. Canova’s Psyche Revived by Cupid’s Kiss, exists in two aderations only. In the Hermitage one, the artist draped the legs of Psyche completely unlike in the second one housed in the Louvre. The Yusupov’s sculpture was damaged during the fire in his residence and it was transported and restored in the Hermitage later on.
Tenerani, “Psyche in a Faint”, marble statue of the 19th century
Bartolini, “Nymph with a scorpion,” marble statue of the 19th century commissioned by tsar Nicolas I. Bartolini was one of David’s students and a friend of Ingres, he created utterly beautiful, neoclassical sculptures that were often copied.
James Cox,The Peacock clock,1770s is displayed in the Pavilion Hall.
Giorgione, Judith.
Diego Velazquez’s “Lancheon”, 1617.
Rembrandt’s “The Return of the Prodigal Son”, 1665 – This monumental painting is considered one of the greatest works of art ever created and is a masterpiece of Dutch Baroque painting because it shows the triumph of love and forgiveness over bitterness and loss. There is also Rembrandt’s “Flora”, 1634 that he painted after marrying his wife.
Michelangelo’s “Crouching Boy” – This sculpture is one of only a few surviving works by Michelangelo that are not in Italy, and it is considered a rare example of his early, unfinished work.
Raphael’s “Conestabile Madonna” – This painting is considered one of the most beautiful and important works in the Hermitage’s collection of Italian Renaissance art.
#3 The Louvre, Paris, France
The Louvre art museum is located in Paris, France. The Louvre is the most famous and visited art museum in the world. It houses an extensive collection of Western art from the Middle Ages to the 19th century, including Rembrandt, Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci’s iconic masterpiece behind glass, the Mona Lisa.
The Card Sharp with the Ace of Diamonds, closeup detail, oil painting 1636–1638 by the French artist Georges de La Tour, the Louvre | veronica winters
The Louvre, the best art museum in Europe, is home to numerous masterpieces including:
”Grande Odalisque”, also known as ”Une Odalisque or La Grande Odalisque”, completed in 1814, is a Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres oil painting depicting an odalisque or concubine. It is currently housed in the Louvre, Paris.
“The pastoral concert” by Titian, 1509
The Virgin, Saint Anne, and the Child Playing with a Lamb, da Vinci, 1503-19
Saint John the Baptist, da Vinci
Canova, Psyche Revived by Cupid’s Kiss, marble sculpture, 1793, the Louvre | Photo: Veronica Winters | Cupid and Psyche exists in two variants made by Canova. In the Hermitage one, the artist draped the legs of Psyche completely unlike in the second one housed in the Louvre. I absolutely love the movement of arms and the diagonals of legs and bodies in these perfectly made, marble figures.Michelangelo, the dying slave at the Louvre | Photo: Veronica Winters | This sculpture is part of a series of sculptures known as the “Prisoners” or “Slaves.” It dates between 1513 and 1530, during Michelangelo’s time working on the tomb of Pope Julius II in Rome. I love how the artist curved the body creating movement in the figure. It looks so beautiful even without the polished luster of finished marbles.Canova, Cupid and Psyche, marble sculpture, 19th century, Louvre | Photo: Veronica Winters. I love Canova’s art although it borders sweetness. An incredible talent and perseverance he possessed to create such beautiful works of art.The Venus de Milo from the galleries dedicated to Classical and Hellenistic Greece in the Louvre, made between 130 and 100 BCE, during the late Hellenistic period. Photo: veronica winters. This is one of the best GGrec-Roman sculptures existing today. The proportion, movement and simplicity are divine.
Leonardo da Vinci’s “Mona Lisa” – This small portrait of a woman is the most famous painting in the world and is considered a masterpiece of early Renaissance art.
“The Winged Victory of Samothrace” – This ancient Greek sculpture depicts the goddess Nike (Victory) standing on the prow of a ship and is considered one of the greatest masterpieces of Hellenistic art. I love this sculpture’s force and movement that communicates confidence and vigor.
Eugene Delacroix’s “Liberty Leading the People” – This painting depicts the allegorical figure of Liberty leading the people of France during the Revolution of 1830 and is considered a symbol of the fight for freedom and democracy.
Jacques-Louis David’s “The Coronation of Napoleon”1805-1807. This incredibly large painting depicts Napoleon Bonaparte and his wife Josephine being crowned emperor and empress of France in Notre-Dame Cathedral in 1804. This gigantic painting (20ft x 32ft) has remarkable detail that you must see up close. It’s an incredible fit of the artistic genius to design such balanced composition in a gigantic oil painting, which measures 6.21 meters tall and 9.79 meters wide, making it one of the largest paintings in the Louvre Museum in Paris.Johannes Vermeer’s “The Astronomer” 1668 This small but exquisite painting depicts a scholar examining the stars and is considered one of Vermeer’s masterpieces. I love the quietness and natural light in his paintings, also the suggested detail and mysterious nature of figures.
Théodore Géricault’s “The Raft of the Medusa” – This monumental painting depicts the aftermath of the shipwreck of the French frigate Medusa in 1816 and is considered a masterpiece of Romanticism that created much controversy during the painting’s reveal.
Elisabeth-Louise Vigée Le Brun, La Paix ramenant l’Abondance
The woman in the mirror, oil painting, 1525 / 1550 by Titian
Egyptian colossal statue of Sphinx de Tanis
Jacques-Louis David, Portrait of Madame Récamier, 1800 is one of my favorite neoclassical paintings by the master. It’s a commissioned portrait of the Parisian socialite Juliette Récamier shown reclining on a classical, Pompeian style recliner. Because the painting is unfinished, it shows brushwork and simplified color choices that are great for a study if you’re a realist artist.
The Card Sharp with the Ace of Diamonds, oil painting, 42x57in, 1636–1638 by the French artist Georges de La Tour, the Louvre | veronica winters. The second version of this painting is located in the Kimbell Art Museum, TX
#4 The National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C, USA
Élisabeth-Louise Vigée Le Brun, Madame d’Aguesseau de Fresnes, 1789, closeup detail, oil painting on wood, 42x32in, 1789 | Photo: veronica winters | A court painter to Marie Antoinette since 1779, rare female artist fled France during the revolution. In her portraits she didn’t reveal the turmoil painting classical ideals mixed with the orient costumes popular in art during those times.
The National Gallery of Art – Washington D.C, USA is one of the best art museums in the United States and the world located in the National Mall among other Smithsonian museums and institutions. Free to visit, it offers an extensive art collection with incredible paintings, sculpture and objects. Build in 1937, The National Gallery of Art is a must-visit art museum for art lovers in the United States, featuring a vast collection of European and American art, including works by Vermeer, Monet, David, Manet, Bosch, Whistler, Sargent, Fragonard, and Van Gogh. Some famous artists include:
Titian, Doge Andrea Gritti, c. 1546/1550, oil on canvas
Rembrandt van Rijn, Lucretia, 1664, oil on canvas
Hiram Powers (sculptor), The Greek Slave, model 1841-1843, carved 1846, marble
Titian, Woman Holding an Apple, c. 1550, oil on canvas
Georges de La Tour, The Repentant Magdalen, 1635/1640, oil painting
Leonardo da Vinci, Ginevra de’ Benci, 1474/1478
Jean Siméon Chardin, The House of Cards, 1737, oil painting
William Michael Harnett, The Old Violin, 1886, oil painting
John Singer Sargent, Nonchaloir (Repose), 1911, oil painting
Sir Anthony van Dyck, Marchesa Elena Grimaldi Cattaneo, 1623
Raphael, The Alba Madonna, 1510, tondo painting
Joseph Mallord William Turner, Keelmen Heaving in Coals by Moonlight, 1835
Hieronymus Bosch, Death and the Miser, 1485/1490, Painting
Titian, Venus with a Mirror, 1555, oil painting
Auguste Rodin, The Thinker (Le Penseur) model 1880, cast 1901, sculpture
Edgar Degas, Little Dancer Aged Fourteen, 1878-1881, sculpture
Gian Lorenzo Bernini, Monsignor Francesco Barberini, 1623, sculpture
Jacques-Louis David, The Emperor Napoleon in His Study at the Tuileries 1812
Caspar David Friedrich, Northern Landscape, spring, 1825. I love how this German artist depicted nature – powerful and somber. His mastery of subtle color shifts can be admired in the museum. The pictures just don’t do it justice.A young woman and her little boy by Florentine artist Agnolo Bronzino, 1540, the National gallery of art, Washington DC. | Bronzino was the principal portraitist to the court of Cosimo I de’ Medici, Duke of Florence in the mid-sixteenth century. A master of rich textures and detail, this artist is so intriguing to me because all his paintings show painted figures of royalty with very restrained emotion. The x-ray study of this painting revealed a significant changes made to it where the boy and gloves were added later on, while her gown got enlarged and embellished.Titian, Woman Holding an Apple, closeup of hands, 1550 oil on canvasjewels closeup of Lavinia Fontana painting at the National Gallery in Washington DCLavinia Fontana, Portrait of Costanza Alidosi, closup of jewelry,1595, oil on canvas, National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington | Fontana was one of few successful Italian Renaissance and baroque women artists who made it in the history of art.Giuseppe Arcimboldo, Four Seasons in One Head, 1590, the National Gallery in Washington DC. This is one of the most fascinating artists of the late Renaissance who was a court painter in Vienna and Prague. He painted the heads combining plants, animals, and other objects that were optical illusions.
“The flowers and fruit (apples, plums, grapes, and cherries) in the Four Seasons compare with the same or similar nature motifs in Arcimboldo’s other works. In particular, the gnarled and rather menacing tree trunk and branches find exact parallels in the versions of Winter in the Louvre and in the Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna. The Four Seasons has the additional interest of the more engaging three-quarter view, unlike the strict profile Arcimboldo adopted for the Seasons and the Elements. The Four Seasons stands out in other respects as well. By contrast to the whimsical character of much of Arcimboldo’s work, the mood is darker and more somber. The Four Seasons is also the most closely related of all Arcimboldo’s composite heads to the physiognomic studies of Leonardo da Vinci, Arcimboldo’s predecessor in Milan. Painted around 1590, after Arcimboldo had returned to his native city, the Four Seasons is one of his last works. If not a self-portrait of the artist in the “winter” of his life, the painting is a summa of his career.” from: https://www.nga.gov/collection/art-object-page.142008.html
The Annunciation, closeup, Van Eyck, 1436. I think this is one of the paintings that was sold to Mellon from the Hermitage collection. This is a closeup of a larger painting to show the incredible mastery of the Flemish artist. Van Eyck was one of the first artists to master the technique of oil painting. Glazing was one of the oil painting techniques he used to describe the light passing through objects. You can explore the symbolism of this painting here: https://www.nga.gov/collection/highlights/van-eyck-the-annunciation.html
As you can see the National Gallery of Art in Washington DC is one of the best art museums in the United States to visit for art lovers.
#5 The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA
The Met is the largest art museum in the United States with one of the most comprehensive art collections in the world. It contains more than 2 million works of art, including ancient artifacts, European paintings, glassware and tableware, furniture, and some contemporary art. I love how well-lit and structured the art displays are at this top art museum.
Ingres, Princesse de Broglie, 1853, detail closeup of jewelry and fabric at the Met
The art collections at the Met are divided into the following groups: African Art, American Art, Ancient American Art, Ancient Near Eastern Art, Arms and Armor, Asian Art, The Costume Institute, Drawings and Prints, Egyptian Art, European Paintings, European Sculpture and decorative Arts, Greek and Roman Art, Islamic Art, The Robert Lehman Collection, The Libraries, Medieval Art and The Cloisters, Modern and Contemporary Art, Musical Instruments, Oceanic Art, Photography.
Still Life with Oysters a Silver Tazza and Glassware by W. Heda, oil on wood, 1635, closeup of the painting displayed at the Met. I absolutely love Golden Age Dutch painters for their use of contrast, detail and composition. Heda was one of the best still life painters in the seventeenth century.
Art Collection Highlights
There are several Post-Impressionism paintings on view created by Vincent van Gogh. Irises, Self-portrait with a straw hat, sunflowers, roses, and some more!
http://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/436533 | Vincent van Gogh, shoes, 18×21 in, 1888 at the MET
Emanuel Leutze’s “Washington Crossing the Delaware” 12′ 5″ x 21′ 3″, 1851- This large-scale painting depicts George Washington leading his troops across the Delaware River during the Revolutionary War and is considered a symbol of American patriotism.
Ancient Egyptian Temple of Dendur – This ancient temple was built over 2,000 years ago and was gifted to the United States by the Egyptian government in 1965. Roman Period, completed by 10 B.C.
There are several, exquisite paintings by Jan Vermeer.
Marble Statue Group of the Three Graces, marble sculpture at the MET | Roman copy of a Greek work of the 2nd century B.C. These dancing girls represent The Three Graces: Aglaia (Beauty), Euphrosyne (Mirth), and Thalia (Abundance).
There are several portraits displayed at the Met painted by Spanish artist Diego Velazquez.
http://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/437870 | Diego Velazquez, María Teresa (1638–1683), Infanta of Spain, 13 1/2 x 15 3/4 in, oil on canvas, 1651, at the Met. The daughter of King Philip IV of Spain, María Teresa became the heir to the throne in 1646. In 1660 the infanta married Louis XIV, her first cousin, becoming queen of France. This portrait of a royal girl attracted my attention because of its unusual headpiece. She probably wore a wig with these beautiful ribbons that remind me of the lemon slices. I love how the artist painted the sparkle so freely. Still Life with Oysters, a Silver Tazza, and Glassware, Willem Claesz Heda, Dutch, 1635 | I’ve seen several very similar still life paintings in Europe painted by Heda using the same wineglass, cut lemon and a silver goblet as his props. So don’t be confused!“Man in a Turban,” Rembrandt van Rijn, Dutch, 1632. I love this painting for dramatic light and heavy brushwork that defines textures so well. He always illuminated the faces in his art leaving the rest of the composition in a shadow. Rembrandt collected a lot of props for his art, so when he got broke he had to auction off most of his collection. Orientalism was a popular theme in art due to the trade between the republics.“Man in a Turban,” closeup of a painting showing incredible textures and details, Rembrandt van Rijn, Dutch, 1632AugusteRodin, bronze sculpture, “The thinker” is one of the best known works by the artist. Thinker was made to sit over the doorway of the Gates of Hell, contemplating the fate of the damned. The sculpture got popular among the art patrons and the artist produced several castings of this pose.Auguste Rodin, St. John the Baptist at the Met. I remember seeing the same cast at the Princeton Art Museum in California. I thought the facial expression was very life-like seeing it in person that gets lost in photography.Joséphine-Éléonore-Marie-Pauline de Galard de Brassac de Béarn (1825–1860), Princesse de Broglie Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres, French, 1851–53. The Virgin Adoring the Host, Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres French, 1852. The museum also has many preparatory drawings produced by the artist.Amazing details of the realistic earring and soft skin. Ingres, Princesse de Broglie,1853, closeup, The MET. Oedipus and the Sphinx, Gustave Moreau, French, 1864, at the MET. Moreau exhibited his painting at the Paris Salon of 1864. He found inspiration in painting mythological scenes and stories from the Bible using his wild imagination that inspired other artists like Odilon Redon and Oscar Wilde.Oedipus and the Sphinx, Gustave Moreau French, 1864, closeup detail. “The Greek prince Oedipus confronts the malevolent Sphinx, who torments travelers with a riddle: What creature walks on four legs in the morning, two legs at noon, and three legs in the evening? Remains of victims who answered incorrectly litter the foreground. The solution is the human, who crawls as a baby, strides upright in maturity, and uses a cane in old age.” -taken from the description at the Met.
#6 The Prado Museum, Madrid, Spain
The Prado Museum is Spain’s national art museum that houses incredible art collection of over 35,000 artworks including collections of European art from the 12th to the 19th century. It includes works from famous artists such as Francisco Goya, Diego Velázquez, and El Greco. I greatly enjoyed visiting one of the top art museums in the world to see some amazing Spanish artists who painted large-scale art that’s off the art books for some reason. Here is an example of one unbelievably talented Spanish artist- Jose Moreno Carbonero (Malaga, 1860 – Madrid, 1942).
El príncipe don Carlos de Viana, oil on canvas, 1881, Height : 311.5 cm ; Width : 243cm, Jose Moreno Carbonero at Prado art museum. While you can read the details about the subject for this painting here https://www.museodelprado.es/coleccion/obra-de-arte/el-principe-don-carlos-de-viana/0803bb04-cec0-4544-9890-94c329fef4af the artist painted it at the age of 21! The painting shows the prince who had to live a life of an outcast until his death at 40 years of age. Despised by his father for the succession to the Crown, the prince lived a life of seclusion and constant intrigue. I love how the artist painted his emotional state visually referencing a sad dog, old books, dust and clutter. The prince looks disappointed and resigned. Technically, this oil painting is incredible being painted in lush, broad strokes looking so real.
The second painting created by Carbonero is even more striking. I wish you could see the sheer scale and all the details in the painting!
Conversión del duque de Gandía, Jose Moreno Carbonero,oil on canvas, 315 x 500 cm at Prado. | Conversión del duque de Gandía-Jose Moreno Carbonero, painting closeup at Prado, Madrid.Las Meninas, oil on canvas, 320.5 x 281.5 cm by Diego Velazquez, closeup: This 17th-century painting is perhaps the most famous artwork in the Prado. It depicts a group of people, including the Spanish royal family, in a large room, with Velazquez himself appearing behind the infanta.The Garden of Earthly Delights by Hieronymus Bosch, 1490 – 1500. Oil on oak wood panel. Closeup | The Garden of Earthly Delights by Hieronymus Bosch: This triptych painting is one of Bosch’s most famous works, depicting scenes of paradise, earthly pleasure, and damnation. It’s speculated that Bosch (1450 –1516) died of cholera.
The Third of May 1808, 1814 by Francisco de Goya: This painting depicts the execution of Spanish citizens by French troops during the Peninsular War. It is considered one of the most important works of Spanish Romanticism.
The Descent from the Cross, created c. 1435 by Rogier van der Weyden: This Flemish masterpiece depicts the moment when Jesus’s body is taken down from the cross after his crucifixion using unusual composition in which the Mary’s figure mimics the Christ’s.
“The Triumph of Death” 1562 by Pieter Bruegel the Elder: This haunting painting depicts a landscape filled with death and destruction, with skeletons and corpses littering the scene. It is a powerful commentary on the transience of human life.
#7 The Art Institute of Chicago
The Art Institute of Chicago is definitely one of best art museums in the world for art lovers. This top art museum in the United States has an extensive collection of over 300,000 works of art, spanning over 5,000 years of human creativity, including works by renowned artists such as Monet, Picasso, Dali, O’Keffee, Magritte and many more. The art museum’s collection includes a wide range of artistic styles and mediums, from classical antiquities to contemporary art installations. The Art Institute of Chicago is also known for its exceptional architecture, with its iconic lion statues guarding the entrance and its notable Modern Wing designed by Renzo Piano. In addition to its permanent collection, the top art museum hosts a variety of temporary exhibitions throughout the year, making it a dynamic destination for art lovers. artic.edu
American Gothic by Grant Wood: This iconic painting is a quintessential representation of American folk art. It depicts a stern-looking farmer and his daughter standing in front of their farmhouse.
Nighthawks,1942 by Edward Hopper, American, 1882–1967: This painting is one of the most recognizable works of American art of the 20th century. It depicts a late-night diner scene, with a group of customers sitting at the counter.
Virgin and child with an angel, 1485 by Sandro Botticelli, Italian, 1445-1510: is a beautiful gentle painting of the mother and son. While it’s not the best painting by the artist, it offers a good representation of the early Italian Renaissance art.
A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte by Georges Seurat: This pointillist masterpiece is known for its intricate technique of using tiny dots of paint to create an image. It depicts a scene of people relaxing on a grassy bank by the river.
The Bedroom, 1889 by Vincent van Gogh, Dutch, 1853-1890 : This iconic painting depicts the interior of Van Gogh’s own bedroom in Arles, France. It is known for its vibrant colors and bold brushstrokes. The gallery also displays one of his self-portraits, 1887.
Water Lilies,1906 by Claude Monet: This series of paintings depicts the tranquil and serene water lily pond in Monet’s garden at Giverny. The paintings are known for their luminous colors and impressionistic style.
The child’s bath, 1893 by Mary Cassatt is one of the famous paintings by the female artist who liked to depict women and children at daily activities.
At the Moulin Rouge, 1892-95 by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. The artist spent a lot of time drawing singers and other characters at the Moulin Rouge. This painting features unusually colored singer May Milton sticking out from the right edge of the painting, which gives the sense of immediacy to the scene. Her face was cut off from the painting at some point but then reinstated.
Doge Andrea Gritti, 1530/1540 by Workshop of Titian, Italian, 1477-1576
John Singer Sargent, Life study of an Egyptian girl, oil on canvas, 1891 – it’s a beautiful painting of a young nude girl fixing her hair in a complicated pose. Created in classical style, this artwork has little visible brushstroke. This painting is a full-length figure study painted in Cairo.
Magritte, time transfixed, 1938. This is one of the most famous surrealist paintings by Magritte who combined and juxtaposed unrelated objects together playing with scale.
Abbott A. Thayer, Winged Figure, oil on canvas, 1889. This is an allegorical painting of a female figure with wings that looks very contemporary due to its freedom of brushstrokes yet it’s rooted in classical painting.
Rembrandt, young woman at an opened half-door, oil on canvas, 1645
Tintoretto, Tarquin and Lucretia, 1580, oil on canvas, Italian, 1518-1594 , The Art institute of Chicago | The rape of Lucretia by Tarquin, son of the king of Rome, incited the people to overthrow the monarchy and establish a republic around 510 BCE. Lucretia committed a suicide after the rape not to dishonor her family. Tintoretto depicted violence with distortions of the anatomy and perspective, placing figures at a diagonal and letting colorful fabric and pillows fly to create movement. The pearl necklace breaks off her neck, dropping down to the floor next to a dagger.Eustache Le Sueur, Meekness, Oil on panel, 39 7/8 × 26 3/8 in., 1650, French, 1616-1655 | French artist painted 8 Beatitudes, the ideal qualities Jesus identified in his Sermon on the Mount in the Bible. Guillaume Birssonnet commissioned the pieces for his chapel in Paris home. Only the Annunciation altarpiece and two of the Beatitudes survive to the present day.Bartolomeo Manfredi, Italian, 1582-1622, Cupid Chastised, oil on canvas, 1613, The Art Institute of Chicago | Manfredi launched his artistic career by making copies of famous Caravaggio. So he assimilated many elements from the Caravaggio’s art style, such as visual balance, light and shadow drama and the use of common people in mythological scenes. Manfredi painted this beautiful piece after now lost Caravaggio. In this artwork, the god of war, Mars punishes Cupid for his involvement in the embarrassing love affair between Mars and Venus (boy’s mother). This visual story may also comment on the conflict between love and war. I’m amazed by the breath and delicacy of Cupid’s skin tone. Also, the rotation of figures and the movement of bright fabric creates beautiful, dynamic composition. The Banquet, 1958, René Magritte, oil painting, Belgian, 1898–1967. This is one of 4 oil paintings existing with this title. There are also 5 versions in gouache. Magritte loved to superimpose objects placing them in non-existing relationships. He played with the visible and the invisible motif to create this painting.Toby Edward Rosenthal, Elaine, 1874, 38 9/16 × 62 1/2 in., American, 1848–1917 | The Art institute of Chicago | Toby Edward Rosenthal found inspiration for this composition in Idylls of the King, a 19th-century version of the Arthurian legends written by Alfred, Lord Tennyson. In the poem, Elaine dies of a broken heart after being spurned by Sir Lancelot; Rosenthal’s painting depicts Elaine’s postmortem voyage from Astolat to Camelot: “In her right hand the lily, in her left / The letter—all her bright hair streaming down.” Rosenthal’s artistic choices reflect the influence of the Pre-Raphaelites, a group of English artists who favored highly naturalistic details, richly colored surfaces, and subjects drawn from medieval literary sources. After it was purchased by an American patron, Rosenthal’s work sparked Elaine hysteria: clubs were formed in her honor, dirges and waltzes were composed, and copies of Idylls of the King sold out in bookstores. Source: museum’s plaguePieter Claesz, Still Life,18 7/8 × 30 1/4 in, oil on panel, 1625, Dutch, 1596/97–1660 | The art institute of Chicago | Another famous Dutch still life artist who painted realistic and detailed images of food, glass and tableware.Pieter Claesz, Still Life, 1625, closeup
#8 The National Gallery – London, UK
The National Gallery is one of the best art museums in Europe for art lovers to see. Located in Trafalgar Square, London, and it boasts one of the most extensive collections of Western European paintings in the world. It includes works from famous artists such as Leonardo da Vinci, Van Gogh, Bellini, Ingres, Rubens, Holbein, and Rembrandt.
Hans Holbein the Younger, The Ambassadors, oil on oak, 207x20cm, 1533 at The National Gallery in London. | The man on the left -Jean de Dinteville was a French ambassador to the court of Henry VIII in 1533. If you zoom in on the golden dagger, you’ll see the number suggesting that he was 29 years old. The second man is George de Selver, Bishop of Lavaur who is 25 years old. The book under his arm reveals his age. The painting was commissioned by de Dinteville for his home in Champagne. This painting is highly symbolic because every element has special meaning in it. The broken string of the lute may represent the political and religious discord. There is an array of beautifully-painted objects behind the men that seem to suggest their interest in sciences of measuring time and space.
This is one of the most fascinating paintings displayed at the art gallery not only because of all the intricate, realistically painted details but also because of this bazaar skull-the symbol of mortality- that looks extremely elongated when you face the painting. When you move to the right of the painting, the same skull looks almost right. It seems that the artist used a special instrument to create such distortion similar to the one you see in the painting below. In the second painting below the distortion is incredible but when you look through the monocle-like instrument it looks just right. Holbein painted the royalty of the Tudors court for the most part but I think this painting represents the height of his mastery. The artist is the most known for his portrayal of Henry VIII who stands in an overly confident pose looking directly at the viewer. The original was lost during fire but we know about it thanks to multiple copies made from that painting. Holbein died of plague around 45 years of age!
Highlights from the art collection
Rembrandt, Self Portrait at the Age of 34 plus 25 more artworks by the artist!
Hans Holbein the Younger, the Ambassadors,
Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres, Madame Moitessier
Giovanni Bellini, Doge Leonardo Loredan
Jan van Eyck, The Arnolfini Portrait
Joseph Mallord William Turner, The Fighting Temeraire
John Constable, The Hay Wain
Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, The Supper at Emmaus
Diego Velázquez, The Toilet of Venus (‘The Rokeby Venus’)
Leonardo da Vinci, The Virgin of the Rocks
Paul Delaroche, The Execution of Lady Jane Grey
Giovanni Battista Moroni, Portrait of a Lady (‘La Dama in Rosso’). There are several portraits displayed in the art collection. All of them are remarkable.
Paul Delaroche, 1797 – 1856, The Execution of Lady Jane Grey, oil on canvas, 246 × 297 cm, 1833 at the National Gallery LondonPaul Delaroche, 1797 – 1856, The Execution of Lady Jane Grey, oil on canvas, 246 × 297 cm, 1833, closeup details of painted jewelry, fabric and hands. Lady Jane Grey reigned for 9 days as Queen of England in 1553. The 17-year-old Lady Jane was deposed by the faction supporting king Edward VI’s half-sister and heir, Mary Tudor. Tried for treason, she was beheaded at Tower Hill in 1554. Delaroche shows the moment right before the execution with two ladies-in-waiting unable to watch the horror scene. This painting feels very real with high-contrast lighting and life-size figures. It’s also unbeliably well painted where you can spend hours examining all the details in the Delaroche’s art.Giovanni Battista Moroni, (1520/4 – 1579), The Tailor, 1565-70, oil on canvas, 99.5 × 77 cm | Walking through the gallery, this oil painting stopped me in my tracks because the tailor’s face looked so real and thoughtful, which was probably the effect of painting this person from life. Painting from life always looks more real and natural even if there are no details or the anatomy isn’t quite correct. I love how the artist shows this person caught up in a simple task. His outfit and a sword belt suggest his high status in a guild.Giovanni Battista Moroni, (1520/4 – 1579), The Tailor, closeup, 1565-70, oil on canvas, 99.5 × 77 cm Giovanni Battista Moroni, (1520/4 – 1579), The portrait of a lady, closeup, 1556, oil on canvas. In the gallery you can find another another painting by Moroni – the lady in red, which is also very beautiful and skillful depicting the jewelry and fabric of the sitter.
I wanted to include this picture to show you how small most of the Vermeers are. Yet, all of them have amazing detail, composition and light. Diego Velázquez, The Toilet of Venus, The Rokeby Venus, National Gallery London | The Rokeby Venus, also known as “The Toilet of Venus,” is a painting by the Spanish artist Diego Velázquez. It was acquired by the National Gallery in London in 1906 and has been a part of the gallery’s collection ever since. However, in 1914, the painting was attacked by a suffragette named Mary Richardson, who slashed the canvas seven times with a meat cleaver. She was protesting the arrest of fellow suffragette Emmeline Pankhurst and chose the painting because she believed it represented the objectification of women. Fortunately, the damage was not severe, and the painting was restored by the gallery’s chief restorer, Helmut Ruhemann. Today, the cuts are still visible, but they have been carefully repaired, and the painting remains on display at the National Gallery. The Rokeby Venus was painted by Diego Velázquez between 1647 and 1651. Velázquez was the court painter to King Philip IV of Spain, and the painting is believed to have been commissioned by the king’s minister, Gaspar de Guzmán, Count-Duke of Olivares. The painting depicts the Roman goddess Venus, who is shown reclining on a bed, looking into a mirror held up by Cupid, while her attendants help her with her toilette. It is considered one of Velázquez’s greatest masterpieces and one of the most famous depictions of the female nude in Western art.Rembrandt, Self-portrait at the age of 34, closeup, The National Gallery, LondonJan van Eyck, portrait of a man, 1433Leonardo da Vinci, The Virgin of the Rocks, painted between 1495 and 1508, National gallery London | This is the second version of the painting. The first version is in Louvre. It’s always fun to see famous paintings in citu because the scale and presentation of art very so much, affecting our perception of paintings. A lot of Italian Renaissance paintings have custom-build frames of incredibly high quality and elaborate detail since most of them decorated the churches.Ingres, Madame Moitessier, closeup of jewelry and hand, national gallery LondonFrancesco Hayez (1791 – 1881) Suzanna at her Bath, closeup. I think it’s a beautifully painted nude with subtle shifts in skin tone we all can study. Just like in the Valpinçon Bather,1808 painted by the French Neoclassical artist Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres, we can observe a beautiful play between smooth, white skin and the gentle folds of the fabric.
#9 The Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, Netherlands
The Rijksmuseum is the most extensive art museum in the Netherlands, housing over 1 million works of art from the country’s cultural heritage, ranging from paintings and sculptures to decorative arts, prints, and photographs. One of the best art museums in Europe, it includes art from famous Dutch painters such as Rembrandt, Vermeer, and Frans Hals. Located in Amsterdam, it’s famous for its collection of Dutch art and history. Some of the most famous works in the collection include:
“The Milkmaid” by Johannes Vermeer: This painting, completed in 1658, depicts a young female servant pouring milk. There are a few more paintings by the artist – “Woman reading a letter” 1663, “View of the Houses in Delft” 1658 and the “”Love letter” 1670.
Woman Reading a Letter, Johannes Vermeer, c. 1663 oil on canvas, h 46.5cm × w 39cm × d 6.5cm, The Rijksmuseum
“The Night Watch” by Rembrandt: This large-scale painting, completed in 1642, depicts a group of Dutch militiamen and is considered one of the greatest masterpieces of the Dutch Golden Age.
“The Jewish Bride” by Rembrandt: This intimate portrait, completed in 1667, depicts a young Jewish couple in a tender embrace and is considered one of Rembrandt’s most romantic works. Actually, there are many artworks displayed in the museum including etchings and lesser known paintings next to the famous paintings, such as Self-portrait as the Apostle Paul, Rembrandt van Rijn, 1661; Portrait of a Woman, Possibly Maria Trip, Rembrandt van Rijn, 1639 and so on.
Portrait of a Woman, Possibly Maria Trip, Rembrandt van Rijn, 1639, The Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
“The Battle of Waterloo” by Jan Willem Pieneman: This large-scale painting, completed in 1824, depicts the final battle of the Napoleonic Wars and is considered one of the most significant historical paintings in Dutch art.
“The Doll’s House” by Petronella Oortman: This miniature dollhouse, completed in the late 17th century, is one of the most elaborate and well-preserved examples of a Dutch dollhouse and provides a fascinating glimpse into the daily life of a wealthy Dutch family. There is an array of the dollhouses at the museum.
“Still life with gilded beer jug,” by Willem Claesz. Heda, 1634 – a very similar still life painting I mentioned earlier. Heda created dramatic, hyperrealist paintings with the items of luxurious living at that time.
“Rest on the Flight into Egypt,” by Jan Brueghel (I) (manner of), 1600 – 1699, oil on copper.
#10 The Pitti Palace, Florence, Italy
The Pitti Palace, located in Florence, Italy, has a remarkable art collection that often gets overlooked by tourist guides. And while everyone visits the Uffizi Gallery, the palace offers an equally beautiful experience and inspiration. This is definitely one of the best art museums in Europe. The palace was designed in the 15th century by Filippo Brunelleschi, the architect of the famous dome of the Florence Cathedral. The building features a grand façade and spacious interior courtyards. The Pitti Palace has been home to several prominent Italian families, including the powerful Medici family, who lived in the palace during the Renaissance. The palace was also used as a residence by the King of Italy after the unification of Italy in the 19th century. The palace is surrounded by expansive gardens that are not well-maintained and was a disappointment for me on my visit back in 2021. The Boboli Gardens, located behind the palace seem to be overrated and in desperate need of funding to bring them back to their former glory.
Raphael, woman with a veil, 1515, the Pitti Palace in Florence | The Pitti Palace holds a number of beautiful Raffaels!
With a collection of over 200,000 works of art, The Pitti Palace is so incredibly reach in art, it’s a must-see art museum for art lovers! It houses a vast collection of Renaissance and Baroque paintings, as well as works by Italian artists from the 18th to the 20th centuries. The palace also contains the Royal Apartments, which are decorated with ornate furnishings and artworks. Some rooms have so many famous artists on their walls including Raphael, Botticelli, Perugino, Van Dyck, and Rembrandt it’s truly stunning! Famous paintings occupy every inch of the wall space.
Portrait of a Lady, La Bella, Titian, 1536, Pitti palace
Some of the most famous paintings in the Pitti Palace include:
Madonna of the Chair by Raphael: Madonna della Seggiola, completed in the early 16th century, is one of Raphael’s most famous depictions of the Madonna and Child. The circular painting is noted for its tender depiction of the mother and child. Uniquely presented in space, famous art has beautiful color harmony and graceful flow of lines. There are many paintings by Raffael in the Pitti palace. I think their presentation is also very interesting with unique, elaborate golden frames, some of them suspended on the wall like the opened shutters.
Raphael (Urbino 1483 – Rome 1520), Woman with a Veil, 82 x 60.5 cm, 1515
Bust of Antoninus Pius, Roman Art, Mid 2nd century A.D., Greek Marble, 67.5 cm
Bust with the Head of Aristotle, Roman Art, reek marble and onyx, 2nd century AD
Titian (Pieve di Cadore 1488/90 – Venice 1576), Portrait of a Lady (“La Bella”), oil on canvas, 1536-1538, 89 x 75.5 cm
Canova, Venus, marble sculpture, Height 171.5 cm, 1812 . There are some really beautiful neoclassical sculptures including Venus and the bust of Napoleon besides painting at the palace.
Judith with the Head of Holofernes, Cristofano Allori (Firenze 1577-1621)
Martyrdom of St. Cecilia, Orazio Riminaldi (Pisa 1593- 1630), oil on canvas, 334 x 216.6 cm, 1625
Bust of Cosimo I de’ Medici, Baccio Bandinelli (Florence 1493 – Florence 1560)
Charity, Lorenzo Bartolini (Savignano, Prato 1777 – Firenze 1850)
The Seven Wonders of the World, Bernard Rantwyck (Flanders, active c. 1573 – 1596), 36×47 cm,1611
Monumental vase, Sèvres Factory, 1784, 200 cm, Porcelain painted in “blue Nouveau” and gilded; gilded bronze
Still life with fruit and a crystal vase, Willem van Aelst (Delft 1626-27 – Amsterdam post 1683)
St. Francis of Assisi, Jusepe de Ribera (1591-1652)
Psyche Abandoned by Pietro Tenerani, 1819, gallery of modern art at the Pitti palaceCanova, Venus, marble sculpture, Height 171.5 cm, 1812Statue in Amour, Roman art, Carrara marble, mid 2nd century A.D.Andrea del Sarto, St. John the Baptist, c. 1523RaphaelSelf-portrait, Raphael, oil on panel, 1506
Have I convinced you to visit the Pitti palace in Florence???
#11 The Palace of Versailles
Located just outside Paris, the Palace of Versailles is a stunning French royal palace located in the town of Versailles built in the early 17th century as a hunting lodge for King Louis XIII, but it was greatly expanded and renovated by his son, King Louis XIV, who transformed it into one of the most opulent and extravagant palaces in the world. During the reign of Louis XIV, the Palace of Versailles became the center of political power in France. Consider spending most of the day in this must-see art museum walking through its opulent rooms, gardens, and furnishings containing over 60,000 works.
The art collection at Versailles includes decorative objects, tapestries, furniture from the 17th-18th centuries and art by famous artists of the period, such as Jacques-Louis David, Jean-Marc Nattier, François Boucher, Elisabeth Vigée Le Brun, Ingres, Adélaïde Labille-Guiard, Jean-Marc Nattier, and Hyacinthe Rigaud. These works are primarily portraits of the royal family, as well as mythological scenes and landscapes. The palace is famous for its stunning architecture and lavish interior design, including the Hall of Mirrors, the Royal Chapel, and the Grand Apartments. It also features extensive gardens and fountains, which were designed by the famous landscape architect André Le Nôtre. The Hall of Mirrors and the garden designs were copied by other European royalty to match the grandeur of their courts. There are several famous paintings of Napoleon Bonaparte that can be found in the Palace of Versailles that document the life and legacy of Napoleon Bonaparte, who was one of the most significant figures in French history.
Marie Antoinette with a rose, 1783, Elizabeth le Brun. The artist showed the queen in a classic, blue-gray silk gown. There were several copies of this painting made, including the one kept at the Palace of Versailles. It was rare to be a woman artist in the 18th century as only artist-fathers could train their daughters to become artists. Elisabeth Vigée Le Brun was so talented she became a court painter to Marie-Antoinette, Queen of France (1755-1793) whom she painted many times. Marie-Antoinette spent nineteen years at Versailles living a very lavish lifestyle for which she lost her head during the revolution.Versailles gate with the emblem of Louis XIV the Sun King, Photo by Veronica Winters, 2014. Louis XIV was the French king who was known as the “Sun King” (1638-1715). He ruled France for 72 years, making him the longest-reigning monarch in French history. Louis XIV was known for his extravagant lifestyle and his lavish court at Versailles. He was also a powerful and successful military leader. He led France to victory in several wars, including the Franco-Dutch War and the War of the Spanish Succession. Louis XIV was a controversial figure. Some historians see him as a brilliant leader who brought France to the height of its power. Others see him as a tyrannical ruler who squandered France’s resources and led to the French Revolution. But isn’t the controversy necessary for any great leader to be one?
The Hall of Mirrors – This is perhaps the most famous feature of the Palace of Versailles, with its 17 mirrored arches that reflect the sunlight streaming in through the windows. The hall is also adorned with beautiful ceiling paintings by Charles Le Brun.
The Royal Chapel – This stunning chapel features marble floors and walls, a vaulted ceiling, and elaborate stained glass windows. It is also home to a famous sculpture of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary by Antoine Coysevox.
The Grand Apartments – These apartments were once used by the king and queen and are adorned with beautiful frescoes and gilded furnishings. One of the most famous rooms is the Queen’s Bedchamber, which features a magnificent bed decorated with carvings, gold leaf, and richly colored textiles.
The Gallery of Battles – This gallery features paintings depicting the most significant battles in French history, from the Battle of Tolbiac in 496 to the Battle of Wagram in 1809.
The Gardens – The gardens of Versailles are a work of art in themselves, with fountains, sculptures, and geometrically designed paths. They are also home to many statues and other works of art, including the famous sculpture of Apollo by Jean-Baptiste Tuby.
Versailles, the Hall of Mirrors, Veronica Winters, 2014 | The Hall of Mirrors is a grand Baroque style gallery was intended to illustrate the power of the absolutist monarch Louis XIV that was originally designed by the architect Jules Hardouin-Mansart in the late 17th century. The Hall of Mirrors is a long, rectangular that runs the length of the palace’s central building, with 17 large arched windows on one side and 17 mirrored arches on the other side, facing the gardens. The windows are framed by gilded mirrors, which reflect the light from the gardens outside. The walls are decorated with marble and gold leaf, and the ceiling is painted with a fresco depicting the history of France by Charles Le Brun. The paintings depict important events from the reign of Louis XIV, such as his military victories and the founding of the French Academy of Sciences. It is 73 m (240 ft) long and 10.50 m (34.4 ft) deep. With its height of 12.30 m (40.4 ft). The mirrors in the Hall of Mirrors are an important feature of its design, as they reflect the light from the windows and crystal chandeliers to create a dazzling effect. The mirrors were made using a complex process that involved coating glass with a mixture of tin and mercury to create a reflective surface. This was a highly skilled and expensive process at the time, and it is estimated that over 350 mirrors were used in the construction of the gallery.
The Catherine palace has a ‘copy” of the Versailles Hall of Mirrors in St. Petersburg, Russia. The Hall of Mirrors in the Catherine Palace was designed in the late 18th century by the architect Francesco Bartolomeo Rastrelli, who also designed many other rooms in the palace. The Hall of Mirrors in the Summer Palace is a large ballroom with a series of large mirrors along one wall, similar to the Hall of Mirrors in Versailles. However, unlike the French version, the mirrors in the Summer’s Hall of Mirrors are not arched, but rectangular in shape. The mirrors are surrounded by gilded woodwork and decorative paintings on the ceiling and walls. The Hall of Mirrors in St. Petersburg was used for grand receptions, balls and treaty signings during the reign of the Russian tsars.
#12 The National Museum of China, Beijing
While I’ve never been to China, I’d like to list the The National Museum of China because it’s also one of the largest art museums in the world, showcasing the country’s rich history and culture through art, artifacts, and exhibitions. It includes works from ancient Chinese dynasties, modern art, and calligraphy. National Museum of China, Beijing: The National Museum of China is the largest museum in the country, featuring an extensive collection of Chinese art and artifacts dating back over 5,000 years. It is located in Beijing, on the eastern side of Tiananmen Square. The NMC has a permanent collection of over 1.4 million objects, covering various aspects of Chinese history and culture.
#13 National Museum of Anthropology, Mexico City
Museo Nacional de Antropología is located in Mexico City. While it’s not an art museum per se, you can’t skip it if you’re in town! I spent almost all day there walking from one gallery to the next. This is one of the best art museums for archeology lovers that consists of 23 permanent archeology exhibit halls with each culture presented in a separate gallery organized in chronological order. The further you go, the more interesting it gets. After visiting this archeological museum I got a much better overview of the tribes, gods, ancient culture and art of the Mexico region. The Oaxaca, Maya and Aztec rooms impress with rich archeological collections, including the pyramid’s design and decorum, and the most famous Aztec Calendar, commonly known as the “Sun Stone,” which turns out to be the sacrifice stone to rip the hearts out from people’s chests!!
Ancient statues of snakes (the feathered serpent god) at the National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico city. Photos by Veronica Winters, 2023
In recent excavations, archeologists have found mass-burials of sacrificed people dressed as warriors buried inside the pyramid in the Teotihuacan -most important political and religious center erected in 150-200 AD (now about 30 km away from Mexico-city). The number of victims and the symmetrical arrangement of sacrificed bodies indicate that the building and the rituals were in direct relationship to the culture’s astronomy, agriculture and calendar.
“Mayan calendar” was named as such when it was first discovered, however the true meaning of this stone is different. It was the place for human sacrifice, which the indigenous people loved to do to appease the god of rain. The stone knives were made to cut people’s chests and take their hearts out!! In the museum in Mexico city you can find other “tools” that Mayans made to make people bleed in other parts of their bodies. | Images: Veronica Winters, 2023
#14 Moscow Kremlin Museums, Moscow, Russia
I was torn on this one. Although the Uffizi Gallery in Florence does have a great collection of Italian art but so does the State Russian Museum in St. Petersburg, which has a wonderful collection of Russian art. Also, the Great Peterhof Palace with its golden fountains is a must-see art museum. And the Catherine’s Summer Palace in St. Petersburg is another art marvel. So I decided to list a historic site here that’s not an art gallery per se. However, it offers a unique cultural experience that’s very different from the rest of the Western Europe.
Every nation has its historic center. The Kremlin is a historic fortress located in the heart of Moscow and is a UNESCO World Heritage site and a symbol of the Russian statehood. It is a complex of buildings that include the Armoury Chamber and the architectural ensemble of the Cathedral Square, consisting of the Assumption, Archangel and Annunciation cathedrals, the Church of Laying Our Lady’s Holy Robe, the Patriarch’s Palace with the Twelve Apostles’ Church and the ‘Ivan the Great’ Bell Tower complex, as well as the exhibition halls in the Assumption Belfry and in the One-Pillar Chamber of the Patriarch’s Palace. Reserve several hours to visit everything and be aware that the must-see diamond fund may have a separate entry ticket. Some of the top attractions to see within the Kremlin complex are:
St.Basil Cathedral during Christmas season
The Armoury Chamber: This museum houses an impressive collection of royal treasures, including Fabergé eggs, carriages, and ceremonial weapons.
The State Kremlin Palace: This grand concert hall is one of the largest in Russia and is used for major events and performances.
The Ivan the Great Bell Tower (left): This iconic tower is one of the tallest structures in Moscow and offers stunning views of the city. The Archangel cathedral (right), constructed in 1505-1508 by the Italian architect Aloisio Novyi, is the most unique monument in the whole ensemble of the Cathedral Squire of the Moscow Kremlin. It was the residence of grand princes, which was planned and realized by Ivan III – the Grand Prince and the sovereign of All Russia (1462-1505). During his reign Russia became free from the Mongol-Tatar Yoke in 1480). It was also the burial place of grand princes of Moscow. The cathedral is dedicated to the Archangel Michael, the patron saint of princes.
The Cathedral of the Assumption: This cathedral was the main church of the Russian Orthodox Church and was used for the coronation of Russian tsars.
Annunciation cathedral in Kremlin. The current appearance of the church with enclosed galleries and 9 golden domes was formed in 1560s. Having a square footprint under the central part of the building, the Cathedral lost its symmetrical silhouette and balanced interior of a small Moscow church of the 15th century. The design is close to the times of Ivan the Terrible.
The Grand Kremlin Palace: This palace was built in the 19th century and was used as the residence of Russian tsars and later Soviet leaders.
The Tsar Bell also known as the Tsarsky Kolokol, Tsar Kolokol III, or Royal Bell, is a 6.14-metre-tall (20.1 ft), 6.6-metre-diameter (22 ft) bell.
The State Historical Museum: This museum contains a vast collection of artifacts and exhibits that tell the story of Russia’s rich history.
The Diamond Fund:
Cap of Kazan. 1553-1558; frame of the top – 17th century. Photo of the museum. Gold, yellow sapphire, rubies, tourmalines, turquoise, pearls, fur, Embossing, casting, engraving, niello, filigree, enamel, Height: 24,8 cm; circumference: 65,0 cm
The Diamond Fund: is a museum located within the Kremlin complex in Moscow, Russia. It contains an impressive collection of jewels, precious stones, and artifacts related to the Russian royal family and nobility in Russian history. Some of the items on display at the Diamond Fund include:
Throne of Tsar Mikhail Fyodorovich, The Orient; Russia, The Moscow Kremlin Workshops, before 1642. Gold, precious stones, pearls, wood, velvet, brocade; embossing, flat chasing
The Imperial Crown of Russia: This crown was made in 1762 for the coronation of Catherine the Great and contains more than 4,000 diamonds, including the famous Orlov diamond.
The Orlov Diamond: This diamond is one of the largest and most famous in the world, weighing 189.62 carats. It is said to have belonged to the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan before being acquired by Catherine the Great.
The Shah Diamond: This diamond weighs 88.7 carats and is said to have been owned by the Persian ruler Nadir Shah.
The Imperial Sceptre: This sceptre was made in 1741 for the coronation of Empress Elizabeth and is adorned with a large diamond known as the Great Imperial Crown Diamond.
The Imperial Sword: This sword was made in 1801 for the coronation of Tsar Alexander I and is adorned with more than 1,000 diamonds.
Russian Cap of Monomach, Russian State Regalia, photo of the museum. The Monomakh’s Cap: This crown was made in the first half of the 14th century and is the oldest surviving Russian crown. It is made of gold, silver, and is adorned with pearls and precious stones, pearls, velvet, satin, fur; casting, forging, embossing, engraving, granulation, carving, filigree, enamel.
Crown, sceptre and orb of the grand attire, photo of the museum. Cap of Tsar Mikhail Fyodorovich – Moscow Kremlin Workshops, 1627. Gold, silver, precious stones, pearls, fur; casting, embossing, engraving, enamel. Sceptre and orb – Western Europe, late 16th century. Gold, precious stones, pearls; casting, chasing, engraving, enamel, flat chasing.
GoldChain of Tsar Mikhail Fyodorovich, The Moscow Kremlin Workshops, 1613-1626, gold, chasing, carving, flat chasing, riveting.
The Crown of the Tsarina Alexandra: This crown was made in 1900 for the coronation of Tsar Nicholas II and is adorned with diamonds, sapphires, and other precious stones.
Cap of Tsar Mikhail Fyodorovich, photo of the museum, The Moscow Kremlin Workshops, 1627. Gold, silver, precious stones, pearls, fur; casting, embossing, engraving, enamel.Crown of Empress Anna Ioannovna, 1730. Silver, diamonds, rubies, tourmalines Casting, chasing, engraving, gilding, Height: 31,3 cm; circumference: 68,0 cm. Photo of the museum.
#15 The British Museum – London, UK
The British Museum is one of the best art museums in the world that has over 8 million works in its collection, covering the history of human civilization from the beginning of time. It is also home to some of the most impressive pieces of art from ancient Egypt and Greece, including the Rosetta Stone, the Parthenon sculptures, and the Elgin Marbles. I think your desire to visit this museum will depend on your interests because if you don’t care about history and archeology, this museum might not be great for you. Some of the most popular and significant areas of the museum’s collection include:
Greek and Roman antiquities: The must-see art museum has an extensive collection of ancient Greek and Roman artifacts, including the Parthenon sculptures (also known as the Elgin Marbles) and the Rosetta Stone.
I must say that if you go to the British museum for ancient Egyptian art, travel to Florence and visit their archeological museum that has an amazing art collection of well-preserved Egyptian art and artifacts.
Ancient Egypt: The British Museum’s collection of ancient Egyptian artifacts is one of the largest in the world, with over 100,000 objects ranging from mummies and sarcophagi to sculptures and hieroglyphic inscriptions. You’ll see coffins from 240 BC, the wall paintings from Nebamun’s tomb chapel from 1350BC, Book of the Dead of Hunefer papyrus from 1450BC and many more other exciting artifacts that are fun for the kids to learn about.
Ancient Egyptians mummified not only people but also animals, birds and even crocodiles because animals were sacred to the gods in Egypt. The afterlife was incredibly important to the Egyptians. They consulted the Book of the Dead for proper spells to go through challenges on the way to the ‘heaven’ or immortality. Ancient Egyptians mummified the dead by removing most internal organs and placing them in designated jars. The brain wasn’t preserved and the body was wrapped up in bandages after treatments with salt and oils. You can see the Gayer-Anderson cat in the Egyptian sculpture gallery in Room 4. The Gayer-Anderson cat is a small bronze statue of a seated cat that is currently housed in the British Museum’s Department of Ancient Egypt and Sudan. The statue is named after Major Robert Grenville Gayer-Anderson, a British army officer and collector who donated it to the museum in 1939. The statue is believed to date back to the Late Period of ancient Egypt, which lasted from around 664-332 BCE. It is thought to have been made as a votive offering to the goddess Bastet, who was the protector of the home and the goddess of cats.
The Gayer-Anderson cat is a beautifully crafted piece, with intricate detailing on the fur and a regal expression on its face. It is also notable for its inscriptions, which include the name of a high-ranking priest named Udjahorresnet, who served during the reign of the pharaoh Psamtik I. The statue has become famous for its association with Gayer-Anderson, who was an eccentric collector and scholar of Middle Eastern art and architecture. He acquired the statue during his time in Egypt in the 1920s and 1930s, and it became one of his most prized possessions. You can find it here: https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/animals/gayer-anderson-cat
The Rosetta Stone is a large slab of black basalt inscribed with a decree issued at Memphis, Egypt in 196 BC. The decree is written in three scripts: ancient Greek, demotic (a form of Egyptian script used by ordinary people), and hieroglyphics (a script used by priests and nobles). The stone was discovered by a French soldier during Napoleon’s campaign in Egypt in 1799 and eventually ended up in the possession of the British after the defeat of Napoleon’s forces. The Rosetta Stone was a major breakthrough in the decipherment of Egyptian hieroglyphs. The Greek text was relatively easy to translate, and by comparing it to the Egyptian texts, scholars were able to begin to understand the meaning of the hieroglyphs. The decipherment of the hieroglyphics on the Rosetta Stone was a major breakthrough in the understanding of ancient Egyptian culture and language. It allowed scholars to translate many other Egyptian texts and provided important insights into the culture, religion, and history of ancient Egypt. It’s on permanent display in the Egyptian Sculpture Gallery. Despite its historical significance, the stone looks quite boring in comparison to other Egyptian statues. It’s 1 meter in length and 70 centimeters in height, and weights around 760 kg. However, its role in unlocking the secrets of ancient Egypt has made it one of the most important artifacts in the world.
Middle Eastern civilizations: The museum has an impressive collection of artifacts from the Middle East, including the Cyrus Cylinder, which is considered the world’s first declaration of human rights.
Gold griffin-headed armlet, from the Oxus treasure, Achaemenid Persian, found in Takht-i Kuwad, modern Tajikistan and dated 5th – 4th century BC. Ancient Iran room 52
The Standard of Ur: This is a Sumerian artifact from ancient Mesopotamia, dating back to around 2500 BCE. It is a wooden box that is decorated with inlaid panels of shell, lapis lazuli, and red limestone, and is thought to have been used as a military standard.
Asia: The museum’s collection of Asian art and artifacts is also significant, with highlights including the Admonitions Scroll, a Chinese painting from the 6th century, and the Amaravati sculptures, which date back to the 2nd century BC.
Contemporary art: In addition to its historical collections, the British Museum also has a collection of contemporary art, including works by famous artists such as Damien Hirst and Ai Weiwei.
The Middle East
While Thailand has unbelievably rich and beautiful palaces and Japan offers peaceful temples, big art museums are not there. I’ve never been to India, the Middle East or China, so it’s difficult for me to make a comparison although I wish to see the Indian temples in citu one day. There are several excellent art museums in the Middle East that showcase the region’s rich artistic and cultural heritage.
The Museum of Islamic Art, Doha, Qatar: This museum, located in the heart of Doha, is dedicated to Islamic art and culture from across the Islamic world, including North Africa, the Middle East, and Central Asia. The museum’s collection includes ceramics, textiles, jewelry, calligraphy, and other works of art, dating from the 7th to the 19th centuries.
Louvre Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates: Opened in 2017, the Louvre Abu Dhabi is the first outpost of the famous Parisian museum outside of France. The museum features a collection of art and artifacts from around the world, with a particular focus on bridging the gap between Eastern and Western art. The collection includes ancient artifacts, contemporary art, and everything in between.
The Sharjah Art Museum, Sharjah, UAE: This museum, located in the emirate of Sharjah, is one of the largest art museums in the Middle East, featuring a collection of contemporary art from across the region and beyond. The museum regularly hosts exhibitions and events that showcase the work of emerging and established artists.
Rome
I also want to make a special note about Rome because it’s the center for so much ancient Greco-Roman art! More ancient architecture is getting discovered underground or meshed between the modern apartments in central Rome even today. Here are some of the top art museums in Rome (in addition to the Vatican museums):
Galleria Borghese
Borghese gallery, Damien Hirst, the Minotaur sculpture, Archaeology Now, exhibition, 2021Apollo and Daphne, Bernini, 1625, Borghese gallery. Photo by Veronica Winters, 2021
The Galleria Borghese is a stunning 17th-century palace-turned-museum that houses a collection of masterpieces by renowned Italian artists commissioned by Cardinal Borghese. Its collection includes sculptures, paintings, and decorative arts, all displayed in opulent rooms that evoke the grandeur of Baroque Rome. While some rooms are going overboard decorated with art, they house very famous Baroque sculptures by Bernini like Apollo and Daphne, David, and the rape of Proserpina. There’s an entire wall dedicated to the Caravaggio’s art. And you can find Raphael and Titian there too. You can see pictures here: https://veronicasart.com/damien-hirst-genius-or-imposter-solo-show-at-villa-borghese-in-rome/
You can see the entire wall filled with Caravaggio’s paintings at the Borghese gallery in Rome. Photo by Veronica Winters, 2021
Capitoline Museums are a group of art and archaeological museums located on Capitoline Hill in Rome. They feature an impressive collection of ancient Roman sculptures, as well as Renaissance and Baroque paintings, including works by Caravaggio and Titian. And National Roman Museum is a network of four museums in Rome that focus on the ancient Roman world. Its collections include ancient Roman sculptures, mosaics, and frescoes, as well as other artifacts from ancient Greece and the Near East.
Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Antica at Palazzo Barberini, Rome is a fairly modest gallery that displays some of the most famous paintings like Caravaggio’s Judith Beheading Holofernes, 1602.
Caravaggio, Judith Beheading Holofernes, 1602, The Barberini Palace, Rome. Photo by Veronica Winters, 2021
I hope you enjoyed traveling across the world visiting the best art museums in the world virtually. If you have a chance, visit each one in the nearest future. Subscribe to my monthly VIP email list. 🙂 And share this article with your friends!!!
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AI generated digital art using Deep Dream Generator
What is visionary art?
Visionary art definition:
Visionary art is a genre of art that focuses on spiritual and mystical experiences, deep exploration of human psyche often involving altered states of consciousness or depiction of wide states of awareness. It is characterized by a highly detailed, surrealistic style that often incorporates beautiful symmetrical patterns, vivid colors, dreamlike states, spiritual and mystical experiences, religious or psychological symbols and fantastic imagery. Visionary art is often associated with spiritual movements such as shamanism, Buddhism and new age spirituality, and it is frequently inspired by experiences with plant medicine, meditation, dance, yoga and other forms of spiritual practice. It can also incorporate spiritual practices, cultural heritage and symbolism. Therefore the term ‘visionary artist’ is often used interchangeably with ‘spiritual artist’ and ‘psychedelic artist’ because all three groups of artists explore deeper states of consciousness that may exist beyond our everyday perception of reality. In my opinion, visionary art is a more encompassing term than the psychedelic art but the spiritual art is even more encompassing that the visionary art because most art can be called ”spiritual’ since it addresses our emotions.
Divine Spirit, 24×36 in, oil painting on canvas panel
Visionary art history
The term “visionary art” as we understand it today was not commonly used in the 19th century, but there were artists who created works that might be considered visionary in nature during that time period. For example, the Symbolist movement that emerged in the latter half of the 19th century often incorporated mystical and visionary themes into their work. Artists such as Gustave Moreau, Odilon Redon, and Arnold Böcklin created works that were highly symbolic and often depicted dreamlike or otherworldly scenes. William Blake (1757–1827) was an English poet and artist who is considered to be one of the most important visionary artists of the 19th century. His work often explores themes of religion, mythology, and the imagination.
The Creation by William Blake 1825 at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, visionary art http://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/371141
Similarly, the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, which was active in the mid-19th century, often created works that were highly detailed and rich with symbolism. Many of their works were inspired by literature and mythology, and they often depicted scenes from the imagination or the realm of fantasy. While these artists might not have been explicitly identified as “visionary artists,” their surreal paintings often explored the same themes and ideas that are central to the genre of visionary art that emerged in the 20th century. A Swedish artist, Hilma af Klint (1862–1944) is considered to be one of the pioneers of visionary art in visionary art history movements. She created a series of abstract paintings that she called “Paintings for the Temple.”
Orpheus, c. 1903–10 by Odilon Redon (French, 1840–1916), The Cleveland Museum of Art collection
The term “visionary art” was used by the art critic and scholar Roger Cardinal in the 1970s to describe the work of the late 19th-century symbolic artists – William Blake, Gustave Moreau, and Odilon Redon. The term was also used in the 1960s by the art critic Lawrence Alloway to describe a genre of art that was inspired by spiritual or mystical experiences. Today, the genre encompasses a wide range of artists, styles, and media, from painting and sculpture to digital art, AI art, video art and multimedia installations.
Thracian Girl Carrying the Head of Orpheus on His Lyre by Gustave Moreau-1865, Oil on canvas, 154 x 99.5 cm. Musée d’Orsay, Paris
Carl Jung‘s ideas about the collective unconscious and archetypes have had a significant influence on the development of visionary art symbolism. Jung believed that the human psyche contains universal patterns and symbols that are shared across cultures and time periods ( like the shared term for a ‘mother’). He called these patterns and symbols archetypes. Many visionary artists have drawn on Jung’s ideas to explore the deep layers of the psyche and to tap into the archetypal imagery that resides within the collective unconscious.
Visionary artists often use symbols and imagery that are drawn from a variety of cultural and spiritual traditions, as well as from their own personal experiences and visions. For example, artist Alex Grey has said that his artwork is inspired by his experiences with LSD and DMT, as well as by his studies of various spiritual traditions, including Buddhism and Hinduism. Some visionary artists, use their artwork as a means of exploring the deep layers of the psyche and uncovering hidden aspects of the self. Both Carl Jung and visionary artists have the shared interest in exploring the depths of the human psyche and tapping into the archetypal imagery that resides within the collective unconscious.
white light journal book-art by Andrew Gonzalezpainting of Joe Rogan, Joe Rogan, the host of the Joe Rogan Experience podcast, often mentions his experiences with the use of psychedelic mushrooms and how they helped him see and process his emotions and his relationship to the world.
“The graveyard is the richest place on earth, because it is here that you will find all the hopes and dreams that were never fulfilled, the books that were never written, the songs that were never sung, the inventions that were never shared, the cures that were never discovered, all because someone was too afraid to take that first step, keep with the problem, or determined to carry out their dream.”
Les Brown
Who are contemporary, famous visionary artists?
There are several famous visionary artists although this term is often used interchangeably with psychedelic artists and spiritual artists. The list is constantly evolving as new artists emerge and new styles develop. Here are a few well-known visionary artists in no particular order:
Alex Grey – Grey is perhaps one of the most famous visionary artists. He’s also known as one of contemporary psychedelic artists. His highly detailed visionary paintings often depict human anatomy and consciousness in surrealistic and spiritual ways using repeated patterns and designs seen on a psychedelic trip.
Allyson Grey is a life-long spiritual partner and wife of Alex Grey. Her art is quite different from her husband’s although they often work together on artistic projects, such as CoSM -Chapel of Sacred Mirrors. She paints psychedelic patterns and designs that don’t involve the human form.
Rob Gonsalves is a Canadian artist who passed away in 2017. He created imaginative realism paintings that could also fall into a category of visionary art painting or contemporary surrealism art and even op art. His talent was to realistically convey the sense of magic and wonder in painting that he achieved visually with some optical illusion techniques. Technically his art showed a lot of prep work and influences of the surrealists, op art, and architectural drawing.
Ernst Fuchs – Fuchs was an Austrian painter and printmaker who was associated with the Vienna School of Fantastic Realism. His work is characterized by a highly detailed, ornate style that often incorporates religious and mystical themes.
Amanda Sage – Sage is a contemporary visionary artist who creates vibrant figurative art that explore the connection between humanity and the natural world. She also paints vibration and patterns layered over the figure to show spiritual dimension of human beings.
Android Jones – Jones is a digital, psychedelic artist who creates highly detailed works that explore themes of consciousness and spirituality.
Mati Klarwein – Klarwein was a painter who was associated with the psychedelic movement of the 1960s. His work is characterized by a highly detailed, surrealistic style that often incorporates religious and mythological themes.
Roger Dean – his art features many light, mythical, landscapes that are welcoming and fantasy-like.
Veronica Winters – realist portrait artist interested in exploring wider states of consciousness in painting and colored pencil drawing using color harmonies, patterns and symbols.
Luke Brown – psychedelic artist that also incorporates the symbolism of shamanic cultures and Asian religions.
Carey Thompson – is a contemporary psychedelic artist that utilizes geometric themes and colors in his artwork.
Laurence Caruana
Autumn Skye Morrison
David Heskin
Orphné Achéron is a contemporary artist inspired by antiquity, mythology and medieval times. Orphné, “Nymph of the Darkness” was the wife of Acheron, branch of the Styx, carrying the souls of the dead… This name chosen by the artist evokes Eternity, Mythology, immersion in mysterious depths. The artist combines indian ink and gold leaf to create black-and-white-and-gold, figurative drawings of strength, melancholy, contemplation, chaos, peace and mystery. Orphne also relies on visual elements taken from Egypt, Roman art and Medieval era to create dark fantastic creatures and figures that also carry the light.
There are numerous digital artists that you can find on Instagram who create art with a combination of programs and AI. Check out digital art by visionary artists on Instagram: Danjc.Imagine, Surreal.lifelines, CrystalDreams.AI, Astrodeum.
Rob Gonsalves’ imaginative art painting, “Star dust”
Visionary art symbolism. What do artists want to say with visionary art?
Visionary art is often characterized by a deep sense of exploration, inquiry, and experimentation, and by a willingness to push the boundaries of what is considered “art” and “reality” in order to explore new dimensions of experience and consciousness. Some of the common themes found in visionary art include:
Exploration of consciousness: Many visionary artists use their work as a means of exploring the nature of consciousness, and the ways in which altered states of consciousness can give rise to new forms of perception and understanding.
Spiritual or mystical experiences: Many visionary artists draw inspiration from spiritual or mystical experiences, and use their work to communicate the profound insights and transformative experiences that can arise from such encounters.
Environmental or social issues: Some visionary artists use their work as a means of raising awareness about environmental or social issues, and to inspire action and change.
Healing and transformation: Most visionary artists believe that their work can serve as a tool for healing and transformation, both on an individual and a collective level.
Uniting the personal and the universal: Visionary artists seek to create works that bridge the gap between the personal and the universal, and that speak to the shared human experience in a way that is both deeply personal and universally resonant.
Visionary art themes, styles and subjects:
There are several themes or ideas that are commonly associated with visionary art. These include:
Surrealistic imagery: Visionary art often features strange and dreamlike imagery that is not found in everyday life. The images are often highly detailed, and may feature bizarre combinations of objects and creatures.
Vibrant colors: Many visionary artists use bright, bold colors in their work to create a sense of energy and vibrancy.
Spiritual or mystical themes: Visionary art often explores spiritual and mystical themes, such as the nature of consciousness, the interconnectedness of all things, and the search for higher states of being.
Altered states of consciousness: Many visionary artists are inspired by altered states of consciousness, such as those induced by meditation, psychedelics, or other spiritual practices.
Visionary art techniques: Visionary art often features highly detailed paintings with the use of repeated geometric patterns and mirrored designs that are often seen while tripping.
Imagery from nature and mythology: Many visionary artists draw inspiration from the natural world and from mythological and religious stories.
A focus on the inner world: Visionary art often explores the inner world of the artist or viewer, rather than the external world. This can lead to works that are highly personal and introspective, yet speak to universal themes of love and connection.
Meaning of life (hand) 9×12 oil painting, veronica winters
In terms of the visionary art techniques, the visionary style often involves meticulous attention to detail and the use of various tools and materials to create textures, repeated patterns, geometric designs and mirrored images. Many visionary artists also incorporate various digital technologies into their work, such as 3D modeling and digital painting software. However, not all visionary art is created in this style, and not all art created in this style is necessarily visionary in content.
Subjects:
A lot of visionary artists combine figurative art like a female figure, portrait or humans with the natural world, space and architecture. Even the still life subjects like books can become alive with images of ethereal worlds coming out of their pages.
Spiritual and mystical themes: Many visionary artists draw inspiration from spiritual and mystical traditions, and their work often features imagery related to themes such as meditation, enlightenment, and transcendence.
Nature: The natural world is a common subject in visionary art, with many artists drawing on the beauty and complexity of natural forms to create geometric shapes and designs and combine those with the animals, birds and plants.
Altered states of consciousness: Many visionary artists are interested in exploring the nature of consciousness and the ways in which altered states of consciousness can give rise to new forms of perception and understanding.
Mythology and symbolism: Many visionary artists draw on mythological and symbolic imagery to explore themes related to the human experience, such as birth, death, and transformation.
tree in space, AI-generated art
What are visionary art styles or types of visionary art?
There are several types of visionary art, each with its own unique aesthetic qualities and characteristics. Some of the most common visionary art styles include:
Fantastic Realism: This style emphasizes highly detailed, realistic renderings of surreal and dreamlike imagery. The works often feature complex compositions.
Psychedelic Art: This style emerged in the 1960s and is characterized by super bright, almost acidic colors and abstract, repetitive or mirrored patterns. The works often explore themes related to altered states of consciousness and the spiritual dimensions of psychedelic experiences.
Digital Art: With the advent of digital technologies, many visionary artists have begun to explore new forms of expression using digital tools and techniques. This can include digital painting, 3D modeling, and other forms of computer-generated imagery. It’s easier to re-create complex geometric designs using the software rather than trying to paint the geometry.
Sacred Art: This style is inspired by religious and spiritual traditions and often features iconic imagery, such as mandalas, sacred geometry, and depictions of deities and mythological figures.
Surrealism: This style emphasizes the exploration of the unconscious mind and often features dreamlike imagery and unexpected combinations of objects and forms. The subjects are often depiction of dreams.
Visionary Abstraction: This style is characterized by abstract imagery that is inspired by visionary experiences or altered states of consciousness. The works often feature complex patterns and textures, as well as a strong sense of movement and energy.
Art supplies artists use to create visionary art:
Visionary art is a diverse genre that encompasses a wide range of materials, tools and subject matter.
Materials:
Paints: Many visionary artists use traditional painting materials such as oil, acrylic, and watercolor to create their works.
Drawing materials: Pencils, pens, markers, and other drawing materials can be used to create detailed, intricate images.
Mixed media: Many visionary artists combine different materials and techniques to create multi-layered and textured works of art. This can include collage, assemblage, and sculpture.
Digital tools: With the rise of digital technology, many visionary artists are using digital tools such as digital painting software like Photoshop, Illustrator and Procreate and 3D modeling programs to create their work. AI programs include Midjourney, Stable Diffusion, Deep Dream Generator and many more.
“”Masters of Deception” art book that features art of Rob Gonsalves, Escher, Dali and other op art artists on Amazon
Is there a difference between spiritual art and visionary art?
These terms are often interchangeable and overlap each other. Spiritual art is created with the intention of expressing or exploring spiritual themes or experiences. This can include religious art that is created within a specific religious tradition, as well as other forms of art that explores broader spiritual themes such as the search for meaning and purpose, the interconnectedness of all things, or the nature of consciousness.Visionary art a specific genre of art that is characterized by highly detailed, surrealistic imagery and geometric forms and patterns that is intended to evoke spiritual or mystical experiences. While visionary art may explore spiritual themes, it is often more concerned with depicting the visionary experiences of the artist or viewer, rather than with conveying specific spiritual teachings or beliefs. In other worlds, spiritual art is a lot more encompassing because it can incorporate a very wide range of art.
Why is vision important in art?
In essence vision in art doesn’t equal to the term as visionary art. Vision in art means to have a unique view of the world. Vision is unique to every artist because it is through our visual sense that we experience and interpret the world around us. Vision allows us to perceive and appreciate the colors, shapes, textures, and patterns that make up the visual world, and it allows us to appreciate the visual qualities of art. Vision can be used to create new ways of seeing and understanding the world. Visionary artists, in particular, use their vision to create works that challenge our conventional ways of perceiving the world and that invite us to explore new dimensions of experience and consciousness. This gives art unique meaning and depth.
In art, vision plays a crucial role in the creation and appreciation of visual images. Artists use their vision to translate their inner experiences and ideas into visual form, and they use their technical skills to manipulate color, light, and form in ways that create a particular mood or atmosphere.
For viewers, vision is important in art because it allows us to appreciate the visual qualities of art, such as the use of color, texture, and composition. Vision allows us to engage with the visual world of art, to appreciate the beauty and complexity of visual images, and to interpret the meanings and emotions that are conveyed through visual form.
Is it difficult to sell visionary art?
Visionary art can be difficult to sell for a number of reasons. Here are some factors that may contribute to the challenge of selling visionary art:
Niche market: Visionary art is a relatively niche genre, and may not have the same level of mainstream appeal as more traditional art forms. This can make it more difficult for artists to find buyers for their work.
Non-traditional styles and techniques: Many visionary artists use non-traditional styles and techniques in their work, which can be challenging for some buyers to appreciate or understand.
Limited exposure: Because visionary art is a relatively new genre, it may not receive as much exposure in galleries or other exhibition spaces, which can limit its visibility and make it more difficult for artists to find buyers.
Pricing: Because visionary art can be highly detailed and time-consuming to create, it may be priced higher than more traditional forms of art, which can make it more difficult to sell.
Despite these challenges, there is a growing community of collectors and enthusiasts who are interested in visionary art, and many artists have been able to successfully sell their work through online platforms, art festivals, and other venues that cater to this niche market. Additionally, as more people become interested in the transformative potential of visionary art, it is possible that the demand for this genre may grow in the future.
Visionary art museums & galleries around the world:
Wat Rong Khun – the White Temple in Thailand, photography by Veronica Winters
There are several museums and galleries around the world that specialize in visionary art, or that feature exhibitions of visionary art alongside other forms of contemporary art. Here are some examples:
The Chapel of Sacred Mirrors (CoSM), New York, USA – CoSM is a sanctuary and exhibition space founded by visionary artists Alex Grey and Allyson Grey. The chapel features a permanent collection of Alex Grey’s artwork, as well as temporary exhibitions and events focused on visionary and spiritual art.
The American Visionary Art Museum, Maryland, USA – This museum is dedicated to showcasing self-taught and visionary artists from around the world. The collection includes a wide variety of works, from traditional folk art to contemporary pieces that push the boundaries of what is considered “art.”
La Casa de la Vision, Barcelona, Spain – This gallery specializes in visionary and psychedelic art, with a focus on emerging artists and underground movements.
The Outsider Art Museum, Amsterdam, Netherlands – This museum features works by self-taught artists and outsiders, including many visionary artists. The collection includes both historical and contemporary works, and the museum often hosts special exhibitions and events focused on visionary art.
The Museum of Visionary Art (Museum der Visionskunst), Frankfurt, Germany – This museum features works by international visionary artists, as well as artifacts related to visionary and spiritual traditions from around the world.
The Visionary Art Museum of Belgium (Musée d’Art Fantastique), Brussels, Belgium – This museum features works by visionary and fantasy artists, as well as artifacts related to the history of visionary and fantastical art.
Wat Rong Khun – the White Temple, is a privately owned and constructed Buddhist temple in Pa O Don Chai, Mueang District, Chiang Rai Province, Thailand. It is owned by artist Chalermchai Kositpipat, who designed and built it in 1997.
There are many great movies about artists that offer a glimpse into the creative process, the struggles of the artist, and the impact of their work on society. I don’t know if watching movies about famous artists make us more or less vital in society as it seems that all eyes go on the top tier of the art market while the rest of the artists deal with indifference, low pay, and a lack of art appreciation in society. Perhaps, these movies do leave an impact on our understanding and appreciation of artists who often try to reflect on the world we all live in. After all, most artists don’t have Money as a motivation to produce art, yet artists have to play a game in a consumer-driven world trying to be more visible, and making a living as artists and not baristas.
Here are some of the best movies and documentaries about artists in no particular order:
Girl with a Pearl Earring (2003): This historical drama is based on the novel by Tracy Chevalier and explores the relationship between Vermeer and his fictional muse, Griet. The film features Scarlett Johansson as Griet and Colin Firth as Vermeer.
Tim’s Vermeer (2013): This documentary explores the theory that Vermeer may have used a camera obscura to create his paintings. Inventor Tim Jenison attempts to recreate one of Vermeer’s paintings using this method and the film follows his process. It’s a must-see documentary for every artist who learns classical painting techniques.
Frida (2002): This biographical drama tells the story of Mexican artist Frida Kahlo, who was known for her powerful and expressive self-portraits. The film explores her relationship with her husband, fellow artist Diego Rivera, and her struggles with physical pain and political turmoil. Frida has become a brand in the US with almost all art museums rolling out shows about Frida like there are no other women artists deserving even a fraction of attention. It seems the fact is because of all the drama and tragedy in Frida’s life. The movie is really good, however, but not for a movie night with a kid.
Loving Vincent (2017): This unique film is the first fully painted feature film, with every frame of the movie a hand-painted oil painting. It tells the story of the life and mysterious death of Vincent van Gogh, one of the most famous artists in history. The moving images in painted pictures are fascinating to watch! Also, this movie is wonderful to show to kids.
5. Basquiat (1996): This biographical drama tells the story of Jean-Michel Basquiat, an artist who rose to fame in the 1980s New York art scene. His art is in a stratosphere selling for millions today. While I’m not going to explore the hidden truths about corruption in the art market, this documentary gives a good idea into his life and how he made it in the art world. The film explores his early life, his friendship with Warhol who helped him launch his career, and his struggles with drug addiction.
6. Pollock (2000): This biographical drama tells the story of American abstract expressionist painter Jackson Pollock. The film explores his rise to fame, his artistic process, and his struggles with alcoholism and mental health issues. If you know nothing about the artist’s life, this movie does offer a satisfying experience showing what it often feels like to be an artist.
7. Mr. Turner (2014): This biographical drama tells the story of British artist J.M.W. Turner, who is known for his landscapes and seascapes. The film explores his personal life, his relationship with his father, and his evolution as an artist.
8. “Big Eyes” (2014) is a really good biographical drama film directed by Tim Burton and starring Amy Adams and Christoph Waltz. The film tells the story of artist Margaret Keane, who painted popular portraits of children with big, saucer-like eyes. However, her husband Walter Keane claimed credit for her work, leading to a legal battle over the authorship of the paintings. The film explores the complex and sometimes disturbing relationship between Margaret and Walter, as well as the societal pressures that kept Margaret from speaking out about her work for many years. It also delves into the commercialization of art and the exploitation of artists that often follows. “Big Eyes” gives a very good insight into a life of an artist and how the commercial side of it is very different from the art itself – the issue a lot of artists struggle with today. The film was nominated for several awards, including a Golden Globe for Best Actress (Drama) for Adams. It’s a well-crafted movie with excellent performances, drama and tension between a husband and wife.
9. “The Price of Everything” (2018) is an HBO documentary film directed by Nathaniel Kahn that explores the contemporary art world and the value of art in today’s society. The film features interviews with artists, collectors, dealers, and auction specialists, as well as footage from art fairs, auctions, and exhibitions. The film examines how the art market operates and how artworks are assigned their value. It also raises questions about the commodification of art and the tension between art as a creative endeavor and art as a financial investment ( that leads to corruption in the art market). Some of the key figures featured in the film include Jeff Koons, Gerhard Richter, Larry Poons, Njideka Akunyili Crosby, and Amy Cappellazzo. The film provides an insightful and thought-provoking look at the contemporary art world and the complex issues surrounding the valuation and exchange of art. “The Price of Everything” was nominated for several awards, including a Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Arts and Culture Documentary.
Egon Schiele, death and the maiden, oil on canvas, 1915
10. “Egon Schiele: Death and the Maiden” is a 2016 biographical drama film directed by Dieter Berner, which explores the life and work of Austrian painter Egon Schiele who died of Spanish flu being just 28 years of age. The film follows Schiele’s life from his early years in Vienna to his rise as an influential figure in the Expressionist movement and focuses on his relationships with his muses and models, as well as his artistic process and friendship with famous artist Gustav Klimpt. The film is notable for its visual style, which seeks to replicate Schiele’s distinctive aesthetic through a combination of live-action footage, animation, and computer-generated imagery. Overall, “Egon Schiele: Death and the Maiden” is an interesting exploration of the life and work of one of the most controversial and provocative artists of the early 20th century. The film offers a unique perspective on Schiele’s art and the social and cultural context in which it was created and is worth watching for fans of biographical dramas and art history. The movie is in German language and has a lot of nudity making it not suitable to watch with children.
11. “M.C. Escher: journey to infinity” is a beautiful documentary film about the life and work of Dutch artist Maurits Cornelis Escher. It’s available for free on YouTube. Directed by Robin Lutz, the film explores Escher’s unique artistic vision and his influence on modern art and mathematics. Escher is best known for his intricate prints and drawings that depict impossible geometric shapes, optical illusions, and tessellations. He was fascinated by mathematics and used it as a tool to create his art. Through interviews with experts in the field of art history and mathematics, as well as archival footage and images of Escher’s work, the film provides insight into the artist’s creative process and his impact on the art world. The film also delves into Escher’s personal life, including his early years in Holland, his travels to Italy and Spain, and his later years in Switzerland. It features interviews with Escher’s sons, as well as artists, mathematicians, and curators who have studied and exhibited his work. “M.C. Escher: Journey to Infinity” premiered at the 2020 International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA) and has since been released in theaters and on streaming platforms. It is a visually stunning and informative tribute to one of the most fascinating and influential artists of the 20th century.
There are a few other movies that focus on the life and work of Dutch artist Johannes Vermeer.
The Music Lesson (1999): This short film directed by Jean-Pierre Gorin is inspired by Vermeer’s painting of the same name. The film explores the relationship between a woman and a music teacher and features a re-creation of the painting.
The Art of Painting (1993): This short film by Peter Greenaway explores Vermeer’s painting of the same name. The film presents a detailed analysis of the painting and the symbolism within it.
“Woman in Gold” (2015): While not strictly a biopic of Klimt, this drama film directed by Simon Curtis tells the story of Maria Altmann (played by Helen Mirren), a Jewish refugee who seeks to reclaim a painting by Klimt that was stolen from her family by the Nazis during World War II. The painting in question is “Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I,” also known as the “Woman in Gold,” which is now housed in the Neue Galerie in New York City. “Woman in Gold” examines the political and historical context of one of his most famous paintings and doesn’t have that much focus on Klimpt’s personal life. It also lacks the drama and pace to call it great.
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Psychedelic art is a form of visual art that emerged in the 1960s in the US and is characterized by super vivid colors, super detailed geometric patterns, symmetrical designs, and unusual subjects. Psychedelic art reflects the experiences and sensations experienced on psychedelics, such as LSD, iboga, ayahuasca, peyote, and mushrooms. Today, psychedelic art is gaining popularity due to a rise in psychedelic research, and some celebrities talk about the healing powers of the medicine – mushrooms and ayahuasca. In this article, we’ll explore the history, themes, and examples of psychedelic art.
The use of psychedelics is a complex and controversial topic that has been debated by experts in various fields. Some argue that psychedelics have therapeutic potential and can be used to treat mental health conditions like depression, anxiety, and addiction. Others argue that the use of psychedelics can have negative consequences, such as increased risk of psychosis or hallucinogen persisting perception disorder (HPPD) especially if you’re schizophrenic. The use of psychedelics is illegal in most countries, and it is important to approach any drug use with caution and informed decision-making. If you are considering using psychedelics, it is recommended that you consult with a medical professional and do your research to fully understand the potential risks and benefits. This article is an exploration guide. I’m not an expert in this research by any means, please refer yourself to the list of organizations listed below studying the healing powers of the sacred medicines.
AI-generated psychedelic Aztec tree art
History of Psychedelic Art
Psychedelic art emerged in the 1960s in the US, alongside the counterculture movement and the rise of psychedelic drugs. Influential hippie artists of the time, such as Wes Wilson, Rick Griffin, and Victor Moscoso, created neon-colored posters and album covers for rock bands, such as The Grateful Dead and Jefferson Airplane. Their works had bright colors, bold typography, and trippy visuals that reflected the psychedelic experience. The art was often used to promote concerts and events, and it became a part of the overall psychedelic aesthetic of the time. The ancient history of psychedelic art is just coming to light however as more information and research gets shared in books, podcasts, and other research.
Psychedelics art in ancient cultures:
Image: Ancient psychedelic art of indigenous tribes living in today’s Mexico. I took the picture of this beautiful tapestry at the archeology museum in Mexico City.
Psychedelics have been used in ceremonies by many ancient cultures for centuries. Graham Hancock claims that even some cave paintings dating back some 30,000 years ago depict the altered states of consciousness. If you look closely at art of any ancient culture, you'll notice the key feature of psychedelic art - a repetitive pattern or design. This happens because when you take the sacred medicine, your sight, hearing and sense of smell change drastically and you see the world in geometric and symmetrical forms, grids and very complex, almost kaleidoscopic designs. These colorful, symmetrical patterns can be found in art of many prominent ancient cultures. Let me explain.
This is one of the elaborate Thai decorations I took at the palace years ago. It’s a paw of a gigantic decorative snake at the entrance. I think that the visual idea for this and many other beings present in ancient Thai architecture is derived from the psychedelic experiences of artists due to the repetitive and symmetrical nature of seeing the world while on a journey.
#1 Indigenous cultures of the Americas:
Many indigenous cultures in the Americas, such as the Mazatec people of Mexico and the Shipibo people of the Amazon, have used various plant-based psychedelics such as ayahuasca, peyote, and psilocybin mushrooms for spiritual and healing purposes. Their art is simple, yet it features perfect geometric designs that you normally don’t observe in nature.
#2Ancient Egyptians:
The ancient Egyptians used the blue lotus plant, which has psychoactive properties, for medicinal and religious ceremonies. The murals in the tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamun, depict scenes of people using the blue lotus in a ceremonial context.
These are some picture closeups I took at the Archeological Museum in Florence. It shows ancient Egyptian stones with art depicting the blue lotus -the flower known for its psychedelic properties.
#3 Ancient Greeks:
The ancient Greeks may have used various psychoactive substances, including cannabis, opium, and ergot (a fungus that contains LSD-like compounds), for medicinal and spiritual ceremonies. The painting “The Thriasian Mysteries” by the artist Polygnotus, depicts people participating in Dionysian rituals that involved the consumption of psychoactive substances.
I took this picture in Pompeii. This is a mosaic floor with an illusionary geometric design that could have been inspired by the geometric designs seen on a spiritual journey.
You died before you died and so didn’t die.
Brian C. Muraresku appeared on Joe Rogan Experience podcast #2047 talking about his over a decade-long research that he put in a book “The Immortality Key: The Secret of the Religion with no name”. In the podcast episode, Brian describes the ancient Greek ritual of drinking a special potion at the Temple of Eleusis, which was a carefully balanced brew of alcohol, herbs, spices, and ergot. (Ergot was a hallucinogenic fungus in rye and barley). Only women prepared the drink that gave the users transcendent experiences. This ancient religious practice was destroyed by the third century after the Roman acceptance of Christianity as a main religion.
“Before the birth of Jesus, the Ancient Greeks found salvation in their own sacraments. Sacred beverages were routinely consumed as part of the so-called Ancient Mysteries – elaborate rites that led initiates to the brink of death. The best and brightest from Athens and Rome flocked to the spiritual capital of Eleusis, where a holy beer unleashed heavenly visions for two thousand years. Others drank the holy wine of Dionysus to become one with the god. In the 1970s, renegade scholars claimed this beer and wine – the original sacraments of Western civilization – were spiked with mind-altering drugs. In recent years, vindication for the disgraced theory has been quietly mounting in the laboratory. The constantly advancing fields of archaeobotany and archaeochemistry have hinted at the enduring use of hallucinogenic drinks in antiquity. With a single dose of psilocybin, the psychopharmacologists at Johns Hopkins and NYU are now turning self-proclaimed atheists into instant believers. But the smoking gun remains elusive….The Immortality Key reconstructs the suppressed history of women consecrating a forbidden, drugged Eucharist that was later banned by the Church Fathers. Women who were then targeted as witches during the Inquisition, when Europe’s sacred pharmacology largely disappeared…” taken from the book’s description. It’s sold onAmazon.“Polyphemus and Galatea” mosaic wall displayed at the mosque in Cordoba, Spain. These are examples of Greco-Roman wall and floor designs that might have been influenced by the ceremonial drink.Greco-Roman Mosaic floor design displayed at the mosque in Cordoba, Spain. You can clearly see the geometric patterns that I think first appeared in Greek art under the influence of psychedelics.
#4 Ancient Indians:
The ancient Indians used a variety of plant-based psychedelics, such as the soma plant, for spiritual and religious purposes. I think that Indian and Thai ancient architecture has a lot of visual influence derived from the use of psychoactive ingredients in potions they probably used in their religious ceremonies.
This picture comes from Pixabay. It shows Hampi, India. This type of architecture is quite similar to the effect of psychedelics when shapes and structures have perfect repetition.
Thailand
These are snapshots from my trip to Thailand. In some of these pictures, you can see the use of elaborate repetitive patterns and designs in Thai decorum. Also, the repetitive structure in architecture may be influenced by the initial use of psychedelics.
Mandala art originated in India and became a spiritual and ritual symbol of Buddhism that spread to Tibet, Nepal, China, Korea, and Japan. The image first appeared in the Rig Veda in the 1st century BCE. Mandalas are a symbolic diagram used in the performance of sacred rites and meditation. They represented – Fullness, Wholeness, and Infinity – the feelings you may receive during your psychedelic journey. Mandala art is closely associated with the practice of meditation. The three types of mandalas are: Sand mandala, Healing mandala, Teaching mandala. Just like “The flower of life”, Mandala has a circular, geometric design that symbolizes the ideal state of the Universe. Mehndi mandala art painted on hands looks very similar to the visual feeling of geometric patterns seen on hands during the psychedelic journey.
#5 Ancient Persians:
The ancient Persians used opium and other psychoactive substances for medicinal and spiritual rituals. (Islam became the dominant religion in the Persian Empire after the Arab conquests of the seventh century. The first Persian Empire was shaped by Zoroastrianism. The Persian-speaking world became predominantly Muslim in the mid-seventh century.) When we look at the production of Qurʼān manuscripts with elaborate calligraphic, biomorphic, and decorative motifs we can see many repetitive geometric designs painted in several colors and gold that have evolved into a high art. You can see pages at the Library of Congress.
This is a fascinating book written by Keith Critchlow who researched Islamic art and connected geometric patterns and sacred geometry to help us understand the creation of the Universe. The author illustrated the patterns’ construction, which is useful for any artist interested in geometric designs and architecture. From the book’s description: “Numerous drawings connect the art of Islam to the Pythagorean science of mathematics, and through these images, we can see how an Earth-centered view of the cosmos provides renewed significance to those number patterns produced by the orbits of the planets. The author shows the essential philosophical and practical basis of every art creation–whether a tile, carpet, or wall–and how this use of mathematical tessellations affirms the essential unity of all things. An invaluable study for all those interested in sacred art, Islamic Patterns is also a rich source of inspiration for artists and designers.” Available on Amazon.
If you’re in Europe, You can see Islamic designs in situ in Spain. One of the most famous fortresses is Alhambra in Granada, Spain. It was the inspiration for the famous artist- M.C. Escher. He studied Moorish tessellations in Alhambra to create his original drawings.
Here you can see one of the geometric and biomorphic designs at the Alhambra, Granada. These numerous designs decorate all walls and ceilings in many churches I visited in Spain. These ornate decorations are colored in other mosques. Such decorations give an amazing feeling of the divine existence once inside the church. I don’t know if it’s because such decorum is very different from the Italian Renaissance and Baroque art or simply the fact that the divine nature of the Universe reflects itself in these beautiful patterns.Escher’s art from the Magic Mirror Book on Amazon.Mezquita-Catedral, the Great Mosque of Córdoba is one of the oldest structures still standing from the time Muslims ruled Al-Andalus (Muslim Iberia including most of Spain, Portugal, and a small section of Southern France) in the late 8th century. This is one of the most beautiful cathedrals I’ve seen in this world. It’s impossible to describe the breathtaking feeling while looking up at the dome decorated with numerous Islamic patterns of Moorish architecture. It’s dark, quiet, and serene inside.
#6 Ancient Chinese:
The ancient Chinese used various psychoactive substances, including cannabis.
A closeup of a Chinese vase at the Chicago art institute.Chinese vase pattern at the Smithsonian MuseumsChinese vase at the Chicago Art Institute. By looking at ancient Chinese art I can see the influence of psychedelic medicine – the symmetrical designs and geometric shapes depicted as a decoration.
#7 Indigenous cultures of Africa:
Many Indigenous cultures in Africa have used psychoactive plants for spiritual and healing purposes, such as the iboga plant in Gabon and the Kanna plant in South Africa. The art style features repeated and symmetrical designs that are inspired by these experiences including the intricate textiles and beadwork of the Ndebele people of South Africa and the colorful paintings of the Dogon people of Mali. In his book titled”Supernatural” Hancock describes the use of iboga in African culture.
Graham Hancock did extensive research on the subject of psychedelic use in ancient cultures going back to the cave paintings. He goes on a journey to see Stone Age Art in painted caves of prehistoric France, Spain, and Italy, and rock shelters in the mountains of South Africa. He also travels to the Amazon rainforest to participate in the Ayahuasca ceremony with shamans, whose paintings contain images of “supernatural beings” identical to the animal-human hybrids depicted in prehistoric caves. Hallucinogens such as mescaline also produce visionary encounters with exactly the same beings. Are these real “dimensions” we see while on a journey? You’ll find this book on Amazon.Mushroom man cave painting/ petroglyph of anthropomorphic figure in a mask. Image credit: Fondazione Passare . Anthropomorphic means the attribution of human emotions and intent to non-human entities or divine spirits in human form.
Tassili n’Ajjeris a site with prehistoric cave art in Algeria. “More than 15,000 drawings and engravings show the climatic changes, the animal migrations, and the evolution of human life on the edge of the Sahara from 6000 BC to the first centuries of the present era. The geological formations are of outstanding scenic interest, with eroded sandstones forming ‘forests of rock’.” There is an image of a man, possibly a shaman, with many mushrooms growing out of his body found there. Dating back from 9,500 to 7,000 BC, it’s the oldest known petroglyph that depicts psychedelic mushrooms.
Shamanism
Apart from leading rituals and festivals, the shaman’s main task is healing. It’s achieved by sucking on different parts of the body and extracting stones that represent the disease. Shaman initiation involves a process that lasts at least five years, consisting of difficult exercises in austerity and quests for peyote visions. Sorcery: The kieri or “tree of wind” is a psychotropic plant of the genus Solandra, the use of which is reserved for the most powerful shamans. Because it’s a less benevolent god than peyote, the powers of the kieri can also be used to cause harm. The ”tree of wind” can also grant the gift of music. According to Indians, the witchcraft arrow differs from the votive arrows because of having “crazy” designs on it. It carries pollen inside the kieri that causes dizziness and disorientation in bewitched people. The wax figure represents the receiver of the spell. Source: The Archeological Museum in Mexico City.This pottery of ancient indigenous tribes found in Mexico features lots of geometric designs that could be inspired by visions taking peyote. Peyote is a small, button-shaped cactus native to the southern parts of the United States and northern Mexico.The bottom left image shows a bule with yakwai sacred tobacco and a rope with knots that represents the sins confessed by peyoteros during a pilgrimage to Wirikuta desert. While the beaded art is contemporary it shows the traditional designs of the region.
The Peyote Dance:
During the pilgrims’ peyote visions at Wirikuta, serpents of rain appear to Huichol pilgrims. Huichols says that peyote seekers bring these serpents with them when they return to their Sierra communities. During the great peyote celebration at the beginning of the rainy season, peyote seekers transform themselves into these serpents. They dance with white feather apparel and take rain to the four routes of the universe. (This text is taken from the archeology museum in Mexico City).
Peyote chant: The blue flowers, which are behind the mountains, which are talking… You who claim to know it all, interpret them.
Teotihuacan, local people sell clothing with patterns inspired by ancient tribal art of the area.
Why psychedelics were used in ancient cultures:
Psychedelics may have been used in ancient cultures for various reasons.
Spiritual and Religious Practices: In many ancient cultures, psychedelics were used in spiritual and religious practices as a means of connecting with the divine. Shamans and other spiritual leaders would use psychedelics to enter altered states of consciousness and communicate with spirits, ancestors, or deities. In his book Immortality Key- Brian Muraresku describes his research on the use of psychedelics in ancient Greece. The Greeks and Romans had once in a lifetime ceremony in Eleusis drinking potion that alleviated the fear of death.
Healing Practices: Ancient cultures used psychedelics as a form of medicine to treat physical and mental ailments. For example, certain indigenous tribes in South America have used ayahuasca as a medicine for centuries to treat a variety of emotional and physical traumas.
Rites of Passage: In some cultures, psychedelics were used in rites of passage to mark important transitions in a person’s life, such as puberty, marriage, or death. The use of psychedelics in these ceremonies was believed to help individuals gain a deeper understanding of themselves and their place and connection in the Universe.
Artistic Inspiration: Ancient artists recorded the beauty of the divine spirit in art. It’s obvious to see the use of psychedelics in the art of several ancient cultures. For example, the Mayans created colorful pottery and symmetrical and geometric art. The Islamic artists perfected the use of patterns in their designs of Islamic mosques. The geometrical patterns of Islamic art are the most sophisticated ones I’ve seen so far. They reveal the cosmological laws and hidden reality of the creation of the Universe. Greco-Roman art has many remnants of mosaic floors’ geometric patterns. Thai and Indian architecture features repetitive structures and designs that are visually very similar to psychedelic experiences.
Blooming Heart, colored pencil drawing
Psychedelics can treat trauma:
Psychedelics, when used in a therapeutic setting in nature or in a ceremony under the guidance of a trained professional or indigenous shaman, have shown promising results in treating trauma. Some celebrities like Will Smith and Prince Harry are becoming more open to talk about their experience healing emotional traumas drinking ayahuasca. Psychedelics can help you deal with the most deep, painful and suppressed emotions you can't seem to concur in your life. You travel very deep inside your mind and heart as the sacred medicine gives you guidance and lets you on an emotional journey to relive some moments with a different perspective. You feel, see and hear everything in a powerful synthesis that's often described as the synesthesia. With a set intention and guidance, the medicine takes you where you NEED to go, NOT where you think you will go. This means that you would explore your deepest wounds to find understanding and healing of your deepest pain. This also means that you can enter into both a very beautiful world and a scary one. Every journey is necessary even the dark one to learn from it because the darkness is our shadow we need to embrace and to learn from to become whole. That's why it's so effective in treating people with various conditions. You can heal your wounds in one or few sessions, which could take years in therapy. While on a journey, you receive guidance in thoughts, music and visuals. The post integration session with a psychologist or shaman can help you integrate these experiences into your daily life.
It’s like opening an invisible portal in your mind that lets you experience a parallel reality of the spiritual realm that’s incredibly powerful, complex and intelligent. It shows you the forces of both the light and the dark worlds where you explore yourself and your relationship to the divine and intelligent Universe.
Veronica Winters
Magic Tree Portal, colored pencil drawing on matboard, 20x30in by Veronica Winters
Here are some ways in which psychedelics may help treat trauma:
Increased emotional openness: Psychedelics can help individuals feel more emotionally open and connected to their feelings. This can be helpful for individuals who have experienced trauma, as they may have difficulty accessing and processing their emotions. This relates to people who not only experienced war but also to anyone struggling to process and accept what they feel because of childhood traumas, such as psychological and physical abuse.
Reduced fear and anxiety: Psychedelics have been shown to reduce fear and anxiety in individuals, which can be helpful for those who experience anxiety and panic attacks as a result of trauma.
Increased self-awareness: Psychedelics can increase self-awareness, helping individuals better understand their thoughts and emotions. This can be helpful for those who have experienced trauma, as they may struggle with feelings of shame or guilt.
Enhanced communication: Psychedelics can enhance communication between different parts of the brain, leading to new insights and perspectives. This can be helpful for individuals who have experienced trauma, as it may allow them to reframe their experiences in a new light.
Spiritual experiences: Some people report having spiritual experiences while on psychedelics, which can lead to feelings of connectedness and healing.
It’s important to note that while psychedelics may show promise in treating trauma, they should only be used in a therapeutic setting under the guidance of trained professionals or a shaman. It’s also important to have a safe and supportive environment when using psychedelics.
Psychedelic art can be found in various mediums, from paintings and drawings to digital art and music album covers. Some examples include Alex Grey’s visionary and spiritual paintings and Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of the Moon album covers and Liquid Bloom’s Re. Generations cover was painted by a Peruvian artist Luis Tamani. Today, contemporary psychedelic artists, such as Android Jones and Amanda Sage, continue to create psychedelic-inspired works that push the boundaries of traditional art.
The importance of visionary and psychedelic artists:
Omnipresent mind, colored pencil on paper, 19×25 inches, closeup
Their art often explores spiritual, mystical, or psychedelic experiences that can help expand our understanding of the world and our place in it. By depicting these experiences through visual art, they can help us access and explore different states of consciousness and emotion. Many psychedelic artists wish to channel feelings of love and connection.
Visionary and psychedelic art often challenge the norms of mainstream culture, pushing boundaries and exploring ideas that are not typically represented in mainstream art.
Many artists and creatives are inspired by the work of visionary and psychedelic artists, and their work has had a significant influence on popular culture.
Visionary and psychedelic art often celebrates love and unity, exploring different cultures, beliefs, and experiences in ways that can help build understanding and empathy across many communities.
This book has well-written essays and descriptions of Pablo Amaringo’s Art. He shares his visionary art inspired by his shamanic visions after drinking ayahuasca. The art book is available on Amazon .
What is the psychedelic art style?
The visual elements of psychedelic art are striking and often surreal but differ from surrealism, imaginative realism, or fantasy art. Super bright colors, very detailed geometric patterns, mirrored, symmetrical images, birds, animals, insects, and unearthly shapes or beings are common features, and they reflect the heightened sensations and altered states of consciousness that come with psychedelics. Other characteristics of psychedelic art include the use of psychedelic typography, such as wavy and distorted lettering, animals, and plants, and the incorporation of spiritual and mystical themes that are often explored by mythical and visionary artists as well. Many psychedelic artworks share a sense of otherworldliness, transcendence, and a fascination with the inner workings of the mind. Experienced in safe conditions with integration sessions before and after a trip, the psychedelic journey is a very unique trip tailored to every individual and thus the imagery and knowledge gained during the trip reflect each person’s unique trauma and healing experiences.
Otherworld, Ohio
The experience of seeing geometric shapes and patterns to create psychedelic art
Psychedelic art incorporates vivid colors, complex geometry, and mirrored or kaleidoscopic images that are viewed under the influence of psychedelics. When someone takes a psychedelic substance, their brain experiences changes in perception, leading to visual distortions and heightened sensitivity to colors, patterns, and music. Complex and constantly changing geometric shapes, in particular, can appear to be constantly shifting, morphing, and pulsating, creating a sense of movement and vibrancy in the visual field.
The experience of seeing geometric shapes and patterns while under the influence of psychedelics is a phenomenon that is often referred to as “visual geometry” or “form constants”. These visual effects are thought to occur as a result of the way that psychedelics interact with the brain’s neural pathways and sensory processing centers. Psychedelics like LSD and psilocybin are known to interact with the serotonin system in the brain, which is involved in regulating mood, appetite, and sleep, as well as sensory perception. When someone takes a psychedelic substance, their brain experiences an increase in neural activity and communication, leading to a breakdown in the normal functioning of the brain’s sensory processing centers. Some researchers believe that these geometric patterns reflect the underlying structure and organization of the brain’s visual processing system, which becomes more apparent when the system is disrupted by the psychedelic substance. It’s very difficult to translate this visual experience on canvas and Alex Grey seems to be the most successful artist doing it. However, with the rise of AI-generated art and digital art, it’s much easier to reconstruct very complex geometric patterns and shapes visually that often involve multiplication, kand aleidoscopic and mirror-like reflection of geometric patterns.
Furthermore, many psychedelic artists draw inspiration from spiritual and mystical traditions that use geometric shapes as a means of accessing altered states of consciousness. For example, mandalas, which are geometric patterns used in Hinduism and Buddhism, are often used in psychedelic art to represent the self and the universe and to facilitate meditation and spiritual reflection. The use of geometry in psychedelic art can also be seen as a way of exploring the fundamental building blocks of reality and the mathematical principles that govern the natural world. The use of geometry in psychedelic art reflects both the subjective experience of altered states of consciousness and a fascination with the mathematical and spiritual dimensions of the natural world.
Bliss, 18x24in oil painting by Veronica Winters
Some psychedelic art style influences:
Psychedelic art is a broad category that encompasses a wide range of styles and aesthetics. While artists try to capture their feelings and messages in a visual format, they also use other visual influences to create their art, including:
Surrealism: Many psychedelic artists draw inspiration from the surrealist movement, which emphasizes the irrational and the unconscious mind. Surrealist imagery often features dreamlike or absurd elements and can be disorienting or unsettling.
Pop Art: The pop art movement of the 1960s and 70s had a strong influence on psychedelic art. Pop art often features bright colors, bold lines, and commercial or consumerist imagery, and can have a playful or ironic tone.
Art Nouveau: The Art Nouveau movement of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its sinuous, organic lines and floral motifs, has also been an influence on psychedelic art. Art Nouveau style has the same principles of symmetry in image creation.
Op Art: Op art, which emerged in the 1960s, is characterized by the use of optical illusions and geometric patterns to create a sense of movement or depth. Many psychedelic artists incorporate op art techniques into their work to re-create a different kind of reality.
Digital Art: With the advent of digital technology, many contemporary psychedelic artists work with digital tools to create complex, abstract images that are difficult to produce using traditional media.
Some popular computer software used to create psychedelic art in digital format:
There are many software programs that can be used to create digital psychedelic art. Some of the most popular ones include:
Adobe Photoshop – This is one of the most widely used image editing programs and offers a wide range of tools and filters for creating digital psychedelic art.
Adobe Illustrator – This vector graphics editor is often used to create psychedelic designs with geometric shapes and patterns.
Procreate – This digital art and drawing app is popular among iPad users and offers a variety of tools and effects for creating psychedelic artwork.
Corel Painter – This painting software is often used by artists to create digital paintings with a psychedelic style.
Fractal Explorer – This program allows users to create intricate fractal designs, which can be used to create psychedelic art.
GIMP – This free and open-source image editing software offers a wide range of tools and filters for creating digital art with a psychedelic style.
Mandala Maker – This online tool allows users to create intricate mandalas, which can be used in psychedelic artwork.
There are several AI programs and tools that can be used to create psychedelic art. Some popular examples include:
Deep Dream – This is a neural network-based algorithm that can generate psychedelic images by processing an original image through multiple layers of artificial neural networks.
Neural Style Transfer – This is another AI-based algorithm that can generate psychedelic art by transferring the style of one image onto another.
Artbreeder – This is an online tool that uses AI to generate new and unique psychedelic art by combining different images and styles.
Runway ML – This is an AI-based software that can be used to create psychedelic art and other types of generative art.
Ganbreeder – This is another online tool that uses AI and generative adversarial networks (GANs) to generate psychedelic art.
AI programs and tools offer a fantastic to create psychedelic art and explore the potential of artificial intelligence in the creative arts.
Psychedelic Art Meanings and Interpretations
Dreams inspire my work, as do various philosophies on spirituality, consciousness and existence.
Mr. Crystalface (David Faulkner)
The interpretation and meaning of psychedelic art can vary because it’s a deeply personal experience. However, in the 1960s it was a celebration of freedom and experimentation that carried over the negative stereotypes associated with psychedelic art into our culture. One negative idea is that it promotes drug use or is “bad” art, but if you uncover the true meaning or purpose of the sacred medicine, you may have life-changing experiences that can help you live in a totally different way with more love and compassion for yourself and others. Sacred medicines help us heal and see beyond our day-to-day reality. They connect us to the vast consciousness of the Universe.
Contemporary psychedelic art is widely inspired by a variety of spiritual and mystical traditions from around the world as well as deeply personal, healing experiences. Many psychedelic artists have been influenced by Eastern religions like Hinduism and Buddhism, as well as shamanic traditions from indigenous cultures of the Americas. It’s a form of spiritual and mystical art, that shows transcendental experiences. Most contemporary visionary artists try to capture the altered state of consciousness or the illusive state of mind that shows feelings of profound love, the power of higher consciousness, and our interconnectedness with everything living. Contemporary psychedelic art can transport you to healing, nature-infused worlds to feel the connection. When we feel depressed we are disconnected from the source. By experiencing that connection on a ceremonial psychedelic journey, you may lose the fear of death that was described in ancient Greek literature. Today artists try to capture the essence of Oneness in their psychedelic art, which can include mandalas, spiritual symbols, natural world with animals and plants as well as depictions of mystical experiences and spiritual forms rather than just beautiful geometric shapes.
Awakening, mixed media on cradled panel, 18×24″
Psychedelic art wallpaper
If you’re a fan of psychedelic art, you may be interested in incorporating it into your home decor. One way to do this is by using psychedelic art wallpaper. This type of wallpaper typically features vibrant colors, sophisticated geometric patterns, and surreal imagery that can add a trippy and mind-bending vibe to any room. You can find a wide variety of psychedelic art wallpaper designs online, ranging from vintage-inspired patterns to more modern and abstract styles. Whether you’re looking to create a psychedelic-inspired bedroom, a colorful living room, or a funky workspace, psychedelic art wallpaper can be a great way to infuse your space with a sense of playfulness and creative energy. Check out my art posters here: https://veronicasart.com/product-category/art-posters-for-sale/ or entire art shop here: https://veronicasart.com/shop/
https://veronicasart.com/product/green-eye-mandala-art/ | Green eye & leaves psychedelic mandala art, 6×6 inches, framed to 8×8″Check out beautiful digital art by Cameron Grey. He offers wallpaper and many printed products of his visionary art on his site-parablevisions.com | Image: C Grey, Perhaps The Dreams Are of Soulmates
The difference between psychedelic and visionary art
It’s important to note that psychedelic art and visionary art are often used interchangeably, but there are some differences between the two. While both styles incorporate bright colors, geometric patterns, and spiritual themes, visionary art often has a more introspective and mystical quality, and it’s often created by artists who have had transcendent experiences, such as meditation or spiritual practice without the use of psychedelics. Psychedelic art, on the other hand, is more closely associated with the use of psychedelics, and it often has a more overtly trippy quality like in the art of Allyson Grey, co-founder of CoSM. Despite these differences, both styles share a fascination with altered states of consciousness and the inner workings of the mind, and they are often inclusive of a variety of contemporary artists.
David Faulkner aka. Mr. Crystalface, Self, https://www.mrcrystalface.com/
Visionary artists
Like psychedelic art, visionary art is a diverse genre that has many talented artists. Here are some visionary artists, both past and present in addition to previously mentioned psychedelic artists in no particular order. This is not an exhaustive list, and there are many other visionary artists who have created stunning and thought-provoking works that blur the line between art and spirituality.
Marijke Koger-Dunham
Roger Dean
Ernst Fuchs
Mati Klarwein
Veronica Winters
Randal Roberts
Luke Brown
Carey Thompson
Laurence Caruana
Autumn Skye Morrison
Mark Henson
David Heskin
Orphne Acheron
Xavi Panneton
OtherWorld, Cincinnati, Ohio
The difference between psychedelic art and surrealism
While both psychedelic art and surrealism share some similarities in terms of their use of unconventional imagery, there are several key differences between the two art movements.
Psychedelic art emerged in the 1960s as part of the counterculture movement and is characterized by its use of vivid colors, swirling patterns, and distorted forms. Psychedelic art often aims to create a visual representation of the psychedelic experience or altered states of consciousness and is often associated with the use of mind-altering substances.
Surrealism, on the other hand, emerged in the 1920s as a literary and artistic movement and is characterized by its use of unexpected, irrational, and dreamlike imagery with Dali being the most famous artist in the movement. Surrealist art often aims to challenge conventional perception and to explore the unconscious mind capturing or interpreting dreams. While some surrealist artists may have been influenced by the use of mind-altering substances, this was not a defining characteristic of the movement.
Another key difference between the two art movements is their underlying philosophy. While psychedelic art is often associated with the counterculture movement and its emphasis on individual freedom and liberation, as well as the medicinal quality of psychedelics, surrealism is rooted in a Freudian philosophy that seeks to challenge societal norms and explore the unconscious mind based on dreams rather than on altered reality during the trip.
photo taken at the Dali art museum in Spain
Famous Surrealist artists:
Dali
Magritte
Remedios Varo
Max Ernst
Andre Breton
Dali’s art displayed at the Dali Art Museum in St. Pete, Florida
How to reach an altered state of mind without the use of psychedelics:
It’s possible to reach an altered state of mind without the use of psychedelics. Here are some ways:
Meditation: Meditation is a practice that involves focusing your attention and quieting your mind. With regular practice, meditation can lead to altered states of consciousness, including feelings of bliss, oneness with the universe, and spiritual experiences.
Breathwork: Breathwork is a practice that involves intentional breathing exercises to induce altered states of consciousness. Different types of breathwork techniques, such as holotropic breathwork, rebirthing, and pranayama, can be used to achieve different states of consciousness.
Yoga: Yoga is a physical and spiritual practice that originated in ancient India. In addition to physical postures, yoga incorporates breathing techniques, meditation, and other practices that can lead to altered states of consciousness.
Sensory deprivation: Sensory deprivation involves removing external stimuli, such as light and sound, to induce altered states of consciousness. This can be done through float tanks, isolation tanks, or other types of sensory deprivation chambers.
Dance: Certain types of dance, such as ecstatic dance or trance dance, involve moving the body to music in a way that can induce altered states of consciousness.
It’s important to note that altered states of consciousness can be powerful experiences and should be approached with care and respect. It’s also important to seek guidance from trained professionals and to have a safe and supportive environment when exploring these practices.
Psychedelic substances like LSD, ayahuasca, and psilocybin are known to alter perception, mood, and cognition in a way that enhances the experience of listening to music. Many people report that music sounds more intense, meaningful, and transcendent while under the influence of psychedelics. One reason for this may be that psychedelics increase the brain’s sensitivity to sensory stimuli, including sound. This can lead to an enhanced appreciation of music, and can also cause synesthesia, a perceptual phenomenon where different senses become cross-wired, causing people to “see” colors or patterns in response to certain sounds or musical notes. While the music influences the visuals during the trip, it mostly enhances the meaning or messages you receive during the psychedelic experiences by creating a supportive and immersive environment.
There is a cultural connection between music and psychedelics as well. In the 1960s, the counterculture movement embraced both psychedelic substances and music, with many iconic rock bands like the Beatles and the Grateful Dead incorporating psychedelic themes and sounds into their music. Psychedelic music, with its emphasis on improvisation, experimentation, and unconventional sounds, became a hallmark of the era. There are many musicians and bands that have experimented with psychedelic substances and incorporated psychedelic themes and sounds into their music. Here are a few examples:
The Beatles: The Beatles were famously associated with LSD and other psychedelics in the 1960s, and their music from this period, including albums like “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” and “Magical Mystery Tour,” is characterized by a trippy, psychedelic sound.
Pink Floyd: Pink Floyd is another iconic band associated with psychedelics, particularly the use of LSD. Their album “The Piper at the Gates of Dawn” is considered a classic of psychedelic rock, and later albums like “The Dark Side of the Moon” and “Wish You Were Here” also feature psychedelic themes and sounds.
The Grateful Dead: The Grateful Dead were known for their association with the counterculture and the use of LSD, and their music was a blend of rock, folk, and psychedelic sounds. Their concerts were often characterized by long improvisational jams that could stretch for hours, creating an immersive and psychedelic experience for audiences.
Jimi Hendrix: Jimi Hendrix was a guitar virtuoso and one of the most influential musicians of the 1960s. His music incorporated elements of psychedelia, blues, and rock, and his performances were known for their improvisational and experimental qualities.
Tame Impala: Tame Impala is a contemporary band that has been influenced by psychedelic rock and other genres. Their music often features swirling, trippy sounds, and their lyrics can have a psychedelic or introspective quality.
Liquid Bloom, The Face of Love, album cover art titled “Limbic Resonance” by psychedelic artist Amanda Sage
Music list of contemporary spiritual artists playing on Spotify:
Today, we can find musicians who both incorporate their psychedelic experiences into their music and create music for the purpose of listening to it during the spiritual journey, shamanic ceremony or to dance, meditate, or practice yoga. Just like in art, we can find a cross-over between psychedelic music and spiritual one. One such example is Liquid Bloom. Liquid Bloom is a collaborative music project spearheaded by producer Amani Friend of Desert Dwellers. The project blends ambient, world, and psychedelic elements to create a meditative and hypnotizing sound. Liquid Bloom has collaborated with Poranguí, Deya Dova, Mose, Arsen Petrosyan, Ixchel Prisma, Rara Avis, Shamans Dream, and Numatik drawing inspiration from nature and the power of music to heal and inspire. You can find these artists on Spotify here: https://open.spotify.com/embed/playlist/2P8W9xYxsmgcxa9S27hpwn?utm_source=generator
Liquid Bloom
Desert Dwellers
Maneesh de Moor
Pere
Starling Arrow
Freedom Cafe
Tina Malia
East Forest
Ajeet & Peia
Jessica Om
Alvaro Santamaria
Christian Bollmann & Daniel Namkhay
Danit
Darpan
Porangui
Bird Tribe
The white arrow
Nessi Gomes
Tina Malia
Sheila Chandra
Ohme and many more!
Native Indians giving a ceremonial cleansing in the center of Mexico City, 2023
Why shamans are important for your psychedelic journey?
Shamans are often seen as important guides and facilitators for psychedelic journeys because they have a deep understanding of the spiritual and psychological dimensions of the experience. They have often undergone extensive training and have experience when it comes to working with altered states of consciousness. They can provide guidance, context, healing, and connection. Their main task is healing. They can help to facilitate a safe and meaningful journey and can help the person to integrate the experience into their life in a way that is positive and transformative. Trained psychologists can help you integrate your experience with the medicine as well.
Some of how shamans can be important for psychedelic journeys include:
Guidance: A shaman can provide guidance and support during a psychedelic journey, helping the person to navigate the experience and providing a sense of safety and security.
Context: A shaman can help to provide a cultural and spiritual context for the psychedelic experience, which can help the person to better understand and integrate the experience into their life.
Healing: Shamans are often seen as healers, and can use their knowledge and skills to help a person work through psychological or spiritual issues that may arise during a psychedelic journey.
Connection: A shaman can help the person connect with the spiritual or mystical dimensions of the experience, which can be transformative and life-changing.
What’s the difference between CBD and psychedelics?
The main difference between CBD and psychedelics lies in their effects on the brain and the experiences they produce. Here’s a breakdown:
CBD (Cannabidiol):
Non-psychoactive: Doesn’t induce the mind-altering, “trippy” experiences associated with psychedelics.
Potential health benefits: Research suggests it may help with anxiety, pain, insomnia, and other conditions, although more research is needed.
Mechanism of action: Interacts with the endocannabinoid system, influencing various physiological and cognitive processes.
Legality: Generally legal in most places, though regulations can vary.
Psychedelics:
Psychoactive: Produce alterations in perception, emotions, and thoughts, often including intense visual and auditory distortions.
Experiences can be varied: Can range from mystical insights to frightening hallucinations, depending on the substance and individual factors.
Mechanism of action: Primarily bind to serotonin receptors in the brain, leading to increased neuronal activity and altered signal transmission.
Legality: Restricted or illegal in most countries due to their mind-altering effects.
Here’s a table summarizing the key differences:
Feature
CBD
Psychedelics
Psychoactive effects
No
Yes
Legality
Generally legal
Restricted/illegal
Mechanism of action
Endocannabinoid system
Serotonin receptors
Potential health benefits
Anxiety, pain, insomnia
Varied, research ongoing
Common experiences
None
Altered perception, emotions, thoughts
Top sources for further information:
Information about these substances is constantly evolving, and it’s always best to consult reliable sources for the latest research and legal updates.
In recent years, there has been a resurgence of interest in the therapeutic potential of psychedelics, and several organizations have emerged to study the use of these substances in medicine and psychology. Here are the top organizations that are studying psychedelics:
In this video you’ll see a lecture on the DMT studies and how patterns change depending on the level or dose taken altering the state of mind.It’s fascinating to see how geometric shapes and patterns change depending on frequency and vibration. These screenshots are taken from a video presentation titled “The Hyperbolic Geometry of DMT Experiences at Harvard Science of Psychedelic Research.” So there is a lot more to this world that we are able to see and feel. It looks like geometry is a fundamental structure or building block of higher intelligence in the Universe. Isn’t that cool?DMT geometry levels explanation taken from the video above. Depending on the dose, the human mind sees various geometric patterns based on a level or state reached under the DMT influence.
Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS): MAPS is a non-profit research and advocacy organization that is dedicated to exploring the therapeutic potential of psychedelic drugs like MDMA, LSD, and psilocybin. MAPS conducts clinical trials and studies to investigate the use of these substances in treating conditions like PTSD, depression, and anxiety.
Heffter Research Institute: Heffter is a non-profit organization that supports research into the therapeutic use of psychedelics. Heffter funds clinical trials and studies that investigate the use of substances like psilocybin and MDMA in treating addiction, anxiety, and depression.
Beckley Foundation: The Beckley Foundation is a UK-based organization that supports research into the therapeutic and medicinal properties of psychedelics. The foundation funds studies into the use of substances like psilocybin, LSD, and DMT in treating conditions like depression, anxiety, and addiction.
Center for Psychedelic Research at Imperial College London: The Center for Psychedelic Research is a research group at Imperial College London that is dedicated to investigating the effects of psychedelic drugs on the brain and behavior. The center conducts studies on the use of substances like psilocybin, LSD, and DMT in treating mental health conditions like depression and addiction.
Soul Quest Ayahuasca Church of Mother Earth: Located in Orlando, Florida, this organization provides retreats and shamanic experiences giving ayahuasca and other psychedelic medicines. Staff, shamans, and guides create a safe and healing environment helping you with post-integration as well. Closed as of 8/12/2024
As research into these sacred substances continues to expand, we’ll likely see the emergence of new organizations and initiatives dedicated to exploring the potential benefits of the medicine.
There are a number of books that have been published about psychedelic research over the years.
“The Psychedelic Explorer’s Guide” by James Fadiman: This book provides practical advice and guidance for people interested in exploring the use of psychedelics for personal growth and spiritual development.
“How to Change Your Mind” by Michael Pollan: This book explores the history of psychedelic research, the science behind the use of psychedelics, and their potential therapeutic benefits.
“The Doors of Perception” by Aldous Huxley: This classic book explores Huxley’s experiences with mescaline and provides a philosophical and cultural perspective on the use of psychedelics.
“The Harvard Psychedelic Club” by Don Lattin: This book tells the story of how Timothy Leary, Richard Alpert (later known as Ram Dass), and other researchers at Harvard in the 1960s conducted pioneering studies on the use of LSD and other psychedelics.
“Acid Test” by Tom Shroder: This book tells the story of how a group of researchers and advocates are working to bring psychedelic therapy back into the mainstream and explores the potential benefits and challenges of this approach.
This book list was written with ChatGPT
Conclusion
Psychedelic art is a fascinating art form! Its history, style, and spiritual dimensions offer a glimpse into the human psychic, divine spirit, and hidden interconnectedness with everything living in the Universe. By exploring and appreciating psychedelic art, we can gain a greater understanding of ourselves and the world around us. If you’re interested in exploring similar topics or art styles, be sure to check out surrealism and visionary art movements. Visionary and psychedelic artists help us expand our consciousness, inspire creativity, and heal our hearts. By exploring new realms we can learn more about ourselves and others feeling the interconnectedness of everything living in the Universe, seeing the divine spirit, and being one with nature.
All artists strive for acceptance and appreciation. However, the meaning of appreciation may be unique to each artist. Many painters want to win in shows or receive recognition via art sales as a fair validation of their talent and hard work. I don’t think anyone wishes to perish in obscurity without the proper acknowledgment of his or her gift.
It’s interesting to learn that numerous famous artists admired today often struggled both financially and emotionally. Riveted by poverty and seclusion, they lived the creative life in obscurity. Studied in art history classes, admired in art museums, and owned by some wealthy art collectors today, many famous artists were often unknown or underrated during their lifetime. Only after their death, sometimes decades later, they found proper recognition in contemporary society.
If we look back at the art history prior to the 19th-century, the vast majority of artists worked on public paintings commissioned by the Church, the State, and the mega wealthy. Most of recorded artists were male with very few female artists immortalized on the pages of art history books.
Van Gogh at the Met, NY
The birth of new art movements
In the 19-th century Paris, the Salon was the most prestigious official space to exhibit contemporary realist art. Sponsored by the French authorities, the Salon has become the annual event since 1737.
The Paris Salon, officially known as the Salon de Paris, was a prestigious art exhibition held annually (and later biennially) from 1667 to 1974. It was a major platform for artists to showcase their work and gain recognition, especially in the 18th and 19th centuries. Some famous artists who exhibited at the Paris Salon were Ingres, David, Delacroix, and Manet.
It was the only important exhibition existing in the country. Receiving acceptance into its annual show was crucial to the artist’s success and career. The Salon’s jury process was controlled by the most talented and skilled Academicians who picked the art for the show. Despite its authority and beautiful art the academy produced, it resisted innovation in classical art. This time period became a place of change when several new art movements emerged. As the importance of getting commissions from the Church and the State vanned around that time, it catapulted the artistic creativity and freedom of expression.
The Impressionists broke away from the classical tradition and became the first modern movement to organize their own, separate shows in Paris. Degas was one of the leaders in this organization. Russian classical school of painting branched out to the Itinerants movement in late 19th century. The art world exploded with new art styles and movements. The traditional, academic style of painting was suddenly losing its ground to the impressionism, post-impressionism, neoclassicism, romanticism, social realism, American realism, the pre-Raphaelites, pointillism, symbolism, art nouveau, and even photography. It continued well into the 20th century with the freedom of artistic expression in fauvism, cubism, expressionism, European avant-garde, surrealism, futurism, dada, collage, fantasy, abstract expressionism, and so on.
Famous artists who died before becoming famous
If we go back to the 19th-century art, although artists became independent from the State and the Church, which dramatically changed the subject matter and the painting style, many lived in extreme poverty. The amateur painter, Vincent Van Gogh struggled both financially and emotionally throughout his life and only his brother Theo recognized and supported his talent.
Classically trained Antoine-Jean Gros started out brilliantly with his painting Napoleon in the Pesthouse at Jaffa, 1804, but drowned himself in a river after 30 years of haunting criticism and artistic failure that followed. An engraver, painter, and poet, William Blake was discovered only a century later after his death. French realist artist, Honore Daumier painted most of his life, but received recognition as a painter during his first solo show at the age of 70.
A. Gros, Napoleon in the Pesthouse at Jaffa, 209x280inches. 532x720cm. The Louvre. Commissioned by Napoleon himself, this painting depicts his visit to sick soldiers in Jaffa during the French invasion of Egypt. William Blake, Urizen, the Ancient of Days, 13 copies of hand-colored prints are known and attributed to the Romantic poet and engraver
Driven by the need to paint, Paul Gauguin abandoned his family, left France, and spent his last years in Tahiti. A cocktail of poverty, alcoholism, and syphilis brought him death at the age of 55. His fusion of symbolic imagery with the post-impressionist style became influential only after his death, discovered and promoted by the influential art critic in Paris.
If you’re interested in the events and relationship of two famous artists- van Gogh and Gaugin, read the Moon and Sixpence written by W. Somerset Maugham, which is based on true events.
Paul Gauguin, Reclining Tahitian Women, 1894, Oil on canvas, 23 3/5 × 19 3/10 in | 60 × 49 cm, de Young Museum in San Francisco; one of paintings of the Tahitian Women in the seriesThe Card Players, 25 3/4 x 32 1/4 in, Paul Cézanne, French, 1890–92 This version is located at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York | This painting is the first of five artworks created on the theme of card players.
One of the most influential painters of modernity, Cézanne (1839-1906) had submitted his artwork to the Salon in Paris for 20 consecutive years. His paintings were not accepted into a single show even once. Self-taught, the post-impressionist painter, Paul Cezanne enjoyed the process of painting in isolation. Out of frustration, with introspection, and in search of perfection, Cezanne had a habit of throwing away his now-famous-paintings, creating art in the country. Like a number of artists, Cezanne had a very difficult relationship with his father who wanted the artist to become a lawyer. Like so many painters, Cézanne got famous after his death. Today his artwork sells for millions of dollars per painting. The Gulf nation of Qatar purchased Paul Cézanne’s painting The Card Players (the 5th version) for a record-breaking $250 million. (By the way, there are more Cezannes in Philadelphia than in France, because of private collections’ acquisitions). One day the painter got ill, after being out in a thunderstorm. Cezanne spent his last few days of life painting, achieving what he always wanted to do – to paint until the end…
Innovation is often rejected in the beginning of a big trend. It takes time for the majority to catch up to trends that eventually become mainstream or fashionable. Artist’s success is rarely accidental. Yes, it could be a ton of hard work, but mostly it’s the ability to social climb or to be able to connect to the influential people in the field, promoting yourself tirelessly. Salvador Dali wasn’t social but he kept his career in trusted hands of his wife, muse and promoter- Gala. Wildly successful, Dali worked across continents and mediums to create personal art. Andy Warhol was a successful social climber who recognized the power of celebrity and often depicted celebrities in his silkscreens. Pablo Picasso knew how to attract attention to his art using his personality and connections. For instance, young Picasso immersed himself in the Parisian art scene in early 1900s. A city already buzzing with artistic innovation and experimentation, the artist actively participated in the art scene, befriending other artists and showcasing his work in various art galleries. This exposure fostered connections and helped him gain recognition within the art community [Source: Ian Leslie, “The Picasso Effect”]. Later, Picasso took a leading role in the Cubist movement that attracted lots of attention. The artist also developed strong relationships with some influential art dealers like Ambroise Vollard and Daniel-Henry Kahnweiler, who actively promoted and exhibited his work, contributing significantly to his commercial success and public recognition [Source: Museum of Modern Art, “Picasso and the Avant-Garde in Paris”]. Therefore, while we can admire the skill and creativity of each artist, a successful career is a lot more than just having a talent. Artist’s presence in a creative environment, dedication, extraversion and the support of key individuals within the art world can either propel the artist to the top or leave him at the bottom of desperation and poverty.
VIZCAYA MUSEUM, one of central rooms in the mansion of James Deering
VIZCAYA MUSEUM review
What a fantastic place to visit in Coconut Grove, Miami’s oldest neighborhood! In fact, this is the most beautiful estate museum I’ve visited in the US so far. It’s better then the Ringling estate and the Flagler one. Reminiscent of the old European architecture, the mansion reminds me of Venice and its mysterious charm. James Deering envisioned the mansion build in style of several European historical periods and so some rooms have Venetian influence, others Spanish. There’s also a large room with Chinese art.
VIZCAYA MUSEUM-room, all pictures are by Veronica WintersVIZCAYA MUSEUM-a small elevator that was build just in case Deering needed to come down from the second floor..VIZCAYA MUSEUM-little phone room
The Garden
old trees in the garden
The garden is similar to the one in Versailles. Every corner of the garden is eternally beautiful! I can sit and sketch there for hours if I could. It’s amazing to see this Mediterranean Revival art style integrated into the Florida landscape of mangroves and lizards. Get ready to spend at least two hours walking down the garden and examining the rooms of the estate. The café has tasty food and drinks if you’d like to have a bite there. What a treasure and a must-see in Miami for sure!
VIZCAYA MUSEUM-garden
History
Vizcaya mansion used to be the winter residence of James Deering, an industrialist from Chicago. Born in 1859, Deering was incredibly wealthy and owned several properties in France, Chicago, Miami and New York. A retired multi-millionaire, he moved to Miami because of his poor health. The 130 acre estate took nearly a decade to complete. James died at 65 years of age and his nieces sold the estate to the county after the two hurricanes devastated the property they couldn’t maintain.
VIZCAYA MUSEUM-stained glass windowsVIZCAYA MUSEUM-Pompeii-like sculptureVIZCAYA MUSEUM-sphynx in the gardenOne of sculptures found in the vast gardenVIZCAYA MUSEUM-marble sculpture of Marion Deering McCormick, Jose Clara, 1927
The museum is open Wednesday through Monday, 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m, including December 31 and January 1. https://vizcaya.org/ | ADDRESS: 3251 South Miami Ave. Miami Fl. 33129
The authenticity of Salvator Mundi is a matter of ongoing debate among art historians. Some experts believe that it is a genuine work by Leonardo da Vinci, while others believe that it is a copy or a workshop painting. There is evidence to support both sides of the argument. The painting’s style is consistent with Leonardo’s other works, and it has been authenticated by some of the world’s leading experts on da Vinci. However, there are also some inconsistencies in the painting’s execution, composition and some experts believe that it may have been significantly altered over time.
In 2017, Salvator Mundi was sold for a record-breaking $450 million at Christie’s auction house. The buyer was a Saudi Arabian prince, who later donated the painting to the Louvre Abu Dhabi. However, in 2019, the Louvre Abu Dhabi announced that it would not be displaying the painting, citing “technical and logistical challenges.”
After reviewing the available information online, images and other literature I’ve found about this painting, I believe that the Salvator Mundi is not painted by Leonardo da Vinci. If not a skillful forgery, this painting may have the underpainting done by Leonardo with the rest got filled in by one of his students at best. The more I study this painting, the more inconsistencies I see in the Salvator Mundi.
In the following article you’ll find why the authentication process of da Vinci’s work is so speculative.
The Salvator Mundi oil painting by Leonardo da Vinci (Italian, 1452-1519): is it real or fake?
“Salvator Mundi” Oil on walnut panel, 25 13/16 x 17 7/8 inches (65.6 x 45.4 cm), Private Collection
The last artwork authenticated as Leonardo’s is the Benois Madonna located at the Hermitage, St. Petersburg. It was over 100 years ago. With just about 15 paintings attributed to the artist, finding a new da Vinci is extremely rare. This is the most expensive work of art ever sold at auction. Salvator Mundi or Savior of the World sold for the astronomical $450,312,500 (that includes buyer’s premium) at Christie’s New York. While you can find plenty of information online about the artwork’s ownership and how the Salvator Mundi arrived at Christie’s, I’d like to talk about this painting from the artistic point of view and what inconsistencies I see in it as an artist. While I’m not an expert on Leonardo’s art, I’m a realist painter who designs and paints classically-inspired art.
When art sells for millions we need to question its origin. When I listened to the interview with an art dealer Robert Simon I felt for the painting and believed it was real. Simon outlined a very slow process of discoveries made about the painting. After listening to the podcast, I got interested in researching the available documentation and imagery. The more I looked, the more doubtful I became of its original creation. Here is why.
The over painted version of Salvator Mundi is on the left, while the restored version is on the right.
In his story Robert Simon describes the terrible condition he found the artwork in. Although he saw the beautiful hand that didn’t correspond to a harshly overpainted face stylistically, Mr. Simon had no idea it would be da Vinci at first sight. In the interview you’ll learn how slow the process of discovery was, working closely with the restorer Dianne Dwyer Modestini, Senior Research Fellow and Conservator of the Kress Program in Paintings Conservation at the Conservation Center of the Institute of Fine Arts, New York University. Both of them found clues that this painting could be by Leonardo. Eventually Robert Simon introduced this painting to the Leonardo’s experts in London to confirm the authenticity of the art.
References that suggested the existence of da Vinci’s the Salvator Mundi
In the scholarly article written by Joanne Snow-Smith she traces the whereabouts of the artist. Looking at the trail of paperwork registered in royal courts, she concludes that Louis XII, the king of France, ordered a direct commission to Leonardo da Vinci in 1507, made payments for it between 1507-11, and demanded its completion and turn over in 1513. So the original artwork was painted between 1507-1513. (Painting it on and off for many years is consistent with the artist’ habits). In 1513 da Vinci turned it in to the king’s intermediaries. Next year the king’s wife died and he donated the artwork to a convent in 1514 where it remained for over a century until it got to the Charles I royal collection.
Below you’ll find images with dates that don’t quite correspond to this timeline. For instance, Leonardo’s studies of clothed arms and chest were done between 1504-8 and many paintings with similar composition are dated before 1507. Joanne Snow-Smith proposes that Leonardo painted two copies of the Salvator Mundi based on similarities and differences in the etching, copy paintings and the Windsor castle drawings. ( Source: “The Salvator Mundi of Leonardo da Vinci” by Joanne Snow-Smith, Arte Lombarda Nuova Serie, No. 50 (1978), pp. 69-81).
So the Leonardo’s Salvator Mundi painting existed for sure, maybe even in two versions, which is also possible because the artist painted two versions of the Virgin of the Rocks. What raises questions if the etching was done from the original da Vinci’ painting hidden in the convent for a century. The etching by Hollar becomes important because it’s one of the strongest visual references to the proposed original, or perhaps, it served as a prototype for a beautiful forgery. Let me explain.
#1 reference: etching
Wenceslaus Hollar’s etching, 1650 | Before the modern printing process ever came to existence, it was common practice to produce etchings of masterworks for wider distribution among the royalty, wealthy and public. It’s clear that Leonardo worked on the concept of this painting because he gave it to Louis XII in 1513, and one etching (3 versions of the etching) completed by Wenceslaus Hollar after the original were registered in the royal collection of Charles I of England. Hollar signs and dates his etching, with Latin inscription that ‘Leonardo da Vinci painted it.’ This etching was done from Hollar’s previous drawing that he could have sketched while on a visit to the convent. According to Robert Simon the etching has a large jewel in the clothing that was painted over and then re-discovered in the original painting during the restoration. Yet, there is no clear evidence that the Leonardo’s painting was indeed the prototype for this etching.
What is etching? Intaglio or etching is one of the oldest forms of printmaking where an artist would draw an image with a needle on a metal plate, engrave it withanacid, then charge it with ink to impress the picture on paper with the press. A single image could have many stages or states in its development when the artist increases contrast by building up strokes in the shadows. Every new state goes through the same process of acid corrosion, inking and printing. Because the artist hand-inks the plate and decides how much ink to remove from it, the final image may appear much lighter or darker. Not a single stroke can be removed, so artists exercised great control over the quality and quantity of their strokes. Master etchers among the old masters are Rembrandt and Durer. This printmaking process is taught in art colleges and I made a number of prints using this technique.
If we begin to compare this etching to the discovered Salvator Mundi we can observe three things. The eyes look in different direction. Christ has a definite beard in the Hollar’s etching unlike in the presented painting. The orb’s reflection is not what the scientist artist (da Vinci) would actually see but it’s similar in the etching, the da Vinci’s painting, and some copy paintings. If the etching was done from the original da Vinci, it raises questions how the artist could have ignored the effects of optics he studied so carefully. (Below you’ll find my photos of the orb and how it appears placed in a hand).
#2 reference: da Vinci’s sketches
The second strongest visual reference to the existence of the Salvator Mundi are the da Vinci’s studies located in the Windsor castle collection.
Two drapery studies – preparatory drawings for the Salvator Mundi by da Vanci – are in the royal collections at Windsor Castle, England, 1504-1508. These two drawings is a clear evidence that Leonardo studied the folds and disposition of Christ’s tunic and its sleeves. The drawings are modeled in two colors in chalk characteristic for the classical method of drawing in that period. These studies of drapery show that Leonardo was influenced by the Greco-Roman art and must have studied classical sculpture during his travels in Rome and wanted the clothing look natural and graceful. It also proves that he worked on the concept of his future painting.
We can see that the drawings show two different positions of the arms with folds falling somewhat differently. One of the hand positions is captured fairly closely to the original drawing in the etching and painting. These preparatory drawings become the strongest references to the Salvator Mundi painting. The hand is so beautifully painted, it does look like Leonardo! (Images: https://www.royalcollection.org.uk/collection/912525/studies-of-drapery-for-a-salvator-mundi | https://www.royalcollection.org.uk/collection/912524/a-study-of-drapery-for-a-salvator-mundi).
#3 reference: artist copies
1. Albrecht Dürer, c.1505, (unfinished), The Met 2. School of Leonardo da Vinci, c.1503 3. Cesare da Sesto, 1516, Wilanow Palace, Poland (Images source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salvator_Mundi_(Leonardo) )
There are many copy paintings made from either the original or the etching, letting us believe that the artists were familiar with the original composition of the Salvator Mundi and painted either copies or their interpretations on the theme. By looking at these painted copies we can see striking similarities to the etching and the da Vinci’s Salvator Mundi in the depiction of both hands, the orb, and the figure positioning painted by various artists.
However, based on the existing documents and style, the da Vinci painting was painted between 1507 and 1513, while he was in the service of king Louis XII, which places some of the copies before da Vinci finished working on his painting. Unless da Vinci had conceived and began working on this composition before 1503 (Mona Lisa was begun between 1503-6), and other artists had already seen it, it’s difficult to believe that this composition is original Leonardo. Leonardo’s drawings of clothed arms are dated 1504-8. Therefore it’s either the fact that these paintings were done after a different painting (and not from the da Vinci’s), or Leonardo borrowed the composition and its elements for his work from the Flemish painters and the Vera Icon (Head of Christ) by van Eyck (now lost and existing in contemporary copies of his workshop). Or Leonardo made the first version of his painting before working on the Louis XII commission, which is less likely.
Salvator Mundi, Workshop of Hans Memling, Flemish, 1475-99, the Met. “Christ is shown here as the Savior of the World, holding in his left hand a cross-topped globe representing the earth, while his right hand is raised in blessing. This was a popular image type in the fifteenth-century Flemish painting that merged the themes of the Holy Face (Christ’s features miraculously imprinted on a cloth) and Christ in Majesty.” (Source: https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/437061)Vera Icon (Head of Christ), Jan van Eyck workshopHans Memling, Veronica holding her veil,” 1470, early Flemish painting (left) | Veronica’s Veil with the image of Christ on display in, Turin, Italy
What looks like Leonardo…
In classical art, the artist sketches the subject, transfers the lines and paints them in warm, brown paint on panel or canvas. He then layers color in subsequent layers. In the old masters technique, multiple layers were very thin to achieve the desired atmospheric effect. The da Vinci's sfumato technique involves multiple glazing of thin paint, so thin that some areas don't even show up in the X-ray examinations. In his podcast interview Robert Simon describes how they took a probe on the face of the Salvator Mundi to reveal 17 layers of paint!
His Face
By looking at some copy paintings above it’s easy to see that these artists were able to copy the beautiful hand, orb and delicate pattern of the clothing. However, none of them could copy the same glowing face of the da Vinci painting. The ambiguous face in the Salvator Mundi is so much like Leonardo. Illusive. Ethereal. Glowing. The artist achieved such appearance in his art by glazing very thin layers of oil paint. By mixing the paint with a lot of medium (linseed oil or other oil) the artist created the sfumato technique, the very style we see in the Mona Lisa, the Saint John the Baptist, and in the Virgin and Child with St. Anne. And by looking at the painting for the first time without studying it carefully, it’s easy to conclude that it’s by Leonardo because the painting art style is so similar to other works created by the artist.
If you look at the restored portrait closely, you’ll notice the discrepancies that Leonardo couldn’t have done himself. While the painting style is so Leonardonesque, the crooked tip of the nose and the cross-eyed appearance of Christ raise questions for me as an artist. Being a scientist, Leonardo’s anatomy drawings show exquisite understanding and perfection of human form of that period, so these anatomical discrepancies look like obvious flaws. Why would the artist paint the body of Christ with such symmetry and ignore the symmetry of the eyes and nose? One explanation is that the panel has cracked and warped so much in five centuries that it changed the appearance of the drawing in the nose and chipped off some paint in the eyes (which is hard to believe because the pupils look so uneven, and the shape of the eyes is different). I would like to hear the restorer’s explanation to understand this. If you look at this picture where I overlay straight lines over his face, you can see how crooked the nose is, which lines up with the mouth but not with the top part of the face. The eyes don’t line up either, each having a different shape. In other Leonardo’s drawings and paintings you can see a more complicated rotations of the head that demand a perfect line up of facial features.
Moreover, In the Hollar’s etching we can see that the Christ’s eyes look in a different direction compared to the painting’s straight gaze. The man also wears a definite beard in the etching unlike in the da Vinci’s painting that looks soft and illusive.
The face has a beard. The eyes look in a different direction than the found da Vinci.da Vinci faces from his paintings from left to right: 1. Angel from the Madonna of the Rocks 2. Salvator Mundi 3. The St. John the Baptist 4. Virgin of the Rocks 5. The Virgin and Child with St. Anne (bottom) 6. Mona Lisa 7. La Belle Ferronniere 8. drawing for The Virgin and Child with St. Anne .
Moreover, the presented Salvator Mundi has a non-existent neck. When you look at the line up of faces from da Vinci paintings above, you see a different style of painting the neck. All of them are cylinder-like with considerable definition and naturalistic detail. In the Salvator Mundi painting the neck is obscure and ill-defined unlike in other da Vinci paintings. Also, all known paintings by da Vinci have the models rotating in space a lot. The Salvator Mundi portrait is so frontal it’s inconsistent with the artist’s work.
His Hand
The Salvator Mundi blessing hand is the most realistic, da Vinci-like element in the entire painting. Its elegant design and unbelievably well-painted anatomy make it the best hand by Leonardo I’ve seen in comparison to his other paintings. It’s the most believable element in the painting that looks like Leonardo painted it.
The Salvator Mundi’s hand is the most beautiful element in the entire painting.Details of hands from other artworks painted by da Vinci.
His Hair
Details of the curly hair painted by da Vinci.
While we can see the Leonardonesque hair in this portrait where every strand is observed, this visual element is actually prone to copying by other artists (see the image above of Salvator Mundi, School of Leonardo da Vinci, c.1503 ). The Leonardonesque hair type was a very popular element in the Italian Renaissance painting. Therefore, its hard to say that Leonardo was the only artist painting these beautiful curls in this manner. Leonardo got his initial training in the Andrea del Verrocchio’s workshop in Florence where he assisted the master artist in completion of art, working among many other students. Here we can see this manner of painting the curls.
Verrocchio, the Baptism of Christ. This is the first known work where da Vinci painted the angel to the left being a student in the Verrocchio’s workshop.Verrocchio, Tobias and the Angel | This painting shows how Verrocchio himself painted the curly hair.These are examples of other artists painting the curly hair before and after da Vinci. They have similar style that makes it fairly easy to copy the da Vinci’s hair. | From left to right: Italian painting details, Turin and Durer’s self-portraits.
The painting’s restoration process
1. The removed overpainting reveals the image beneath it. | 2. Overpainted version | 3. The restored painting
In general, paintings get cleaned by removing the varnish, which is a protective coating that traps the dirt and UV light, and protects the oil paint from damage. Usually the removal of old varnish, reveals a much lighter and brighter painting with the original, beautiful colors painted by the artist. High-quality paints wouldn’t fade as much, rather would become more transparent with age. What we see in the first image is the removal of the overpainted image that reveals the original painting underneath it. White lines look like gesso marks crudely painted over the cracks of the original painting trying to fill them in. Oil paint is applied over the gesso to create a painting. By comparing the first and the last image we can see how much restoration was done.
In the interview Mr. Simon says that the Salvator Mundi came to him in terrible condition: the walnut panel had a big vertical crack that was poorly repaired and repainted multiple times over. Smaller cracks and hastily repairs damaged the surface to a great degree.
Dianne Modestini made an incredible job cleaning and restoring the artwork. She didn’t just create a new version of Christ like we see in the overpainted image in the center. Rather, she stripped the painting down to its original state, fixing the “scratches.” The Da Vinci’s signature style – sfumato and the ethereal appearance of the face, are present after 500 years from its creation. The original color of clothing may have been different, however, probably having brighter blues in the beginning. Here is what the restorer says about the painting on Christie’s website.
Dianne Modestini explains that the original walnut panel on which Leonardo, who was known for his use of experimental material, executed Salvator Mundi contained a knot which had split early in its history. However, she concludes that important parts of the painting are remarkably well-preserved, and close to their original state. These include both of Christ’s hands, the exquisitely rendered curls of his hair, the orb, and much of his drapery. The magnificently executed blessing hand, Modestini notes, is intact. With regards to the face, Modestini comments, ‘Fortunately, apart from the discrete losses, the flesh tones of the face retain their entire layer structure, including the final scumbles and glazes. These passages have not suffered from abrasion; if they had I wouldn’t have been able to reconstruct the losses.
During the conservation process, pentimenti — preliminary compositional ideas, subsequently changed by the artist in the finished painting, but not reflected in the etching or painted copies — are observed through infrared imaging, and duly photographed. The most prominent is a first position for the thumb in the blessing hand, more upright than in the finished picture. IRR imagery also reveals distinct handprints, especially evident on the proper left side of Christ’s forehead, where the artist smoothed and blotted the paint with his palm. This kneading of the paint in order to create soft and amorphous effects of shadow and light is typical of the artist’s technique in the latter part of Leonardo’s career. reference: http://www.christies.com/features/Salvator-Mundi-timeline-8644-3.aspx )
da Vinci’s materials and the preparatory ground
Because the artwork’s creation is placed close to the Mona Lisa painting in its style and dates, one of the clues to the authentication of the Salvator Mundi would be the examination and analysis under a microscope of preparatory ground (gesso) underneath the oil paint. It’s known that Leonardo tinted the ground in two colors: blue under the top/ landscape area; red under the bottom area in Mona Lisa, La Belle Ferronniere, The Musician, and St. Anne. ( Pietro C. Marani, Leonardo da Vinci, the complete paintings, Harry N. Abrams, inc. publishers, p. 198). Such examination would also reveal marks of an underlying drawing traced in the ground. Christie’s website mentions spolveri — pouncing — can be seen running along the line of the upper lip. “The rest of the body has a much looser, brushy underdrawing, with further small changes of mind. This combination of careful preparation for the head and much greater improvisation for the body is characteristic of Leonardo.” The X-rays would show different positions or variations of features from the finished painting. Because da Vinci painted in very thin glazes, some elements like an illusive smile or hair may not show up in the X-rayed images.
On the Christie’s website you’ll find this statement. “Powerfully convincing evidence of Leonardo’s authorship was provided by the discovery of numerous pentimenti — preliminary composition ideas, subsequently changed by the artist in the finished painting, but not reflected in the etching or painted copies. The most prominent of these — a first position for the thumb in the blessing hand, more upright than in the finished picture — was uncovered and photographed during the conservation process.” Further examination with infrared imaging would show additional pentimenti- changes in the drawing, which are recorded on the Christie’s website as subtle changes found in the contour of the hand holding the orb.
While these discoveries of pentimenti and spolveri are good indications of the old master work, they are not exclusive to Leonardo’s method of work. And if we think of a careful forgery, this method of working on a painting could have been forged after reading a comprehensive book on Leonardo.
Da Vinci was famous for his experimentation with materials and techniques (Look at the terrible condition of the Last Supper mural). While most artists of his time painted on poplar panels, he chose the walnut one. (Half of his paintings are on poplar wood). He also was one of the first painters to use the walnut oil, which slows down the drying time of oil paint and thus allows for a prolonged painting period. While the walnut oil doesn’t yellow unlike the linseed oil, it’s less stable and may contribute to a weaker bond between many layers of paint and thus makes the painting more susceptible to damage in the long run.
Technical examinations and analyses have demonstrated the consistency of the pigments, media, and technique discovered in Salvator Mundi with those known to have been used by Leonardo. Syson notes particularly the use of precious lapis lazuli in the Christ’s celestial blue clothes, a practice that was unusual at this date, suggestive of the opulence of the commission.
Da Vinci was not the only artist to use precious pigments in his art. Florentine artist Giotto (c. 1266-1337) comes to mind. Therefore it can’t be a strong argument to authenticate the painting based on the precious pigments used, in my opinion.
What’s fake? (or added after Leonardo)
The da Vinci’s orb may not be by da Vinci
The orb’s reflection makes this painting the hardest thing to believe that it’s by da Vinci. It’s painted with transparency of glass that’s impossible to achieve, considering the shape and properties of the orb, regardless its material. da Vinci was a scientist who studied the effects of optics and light extensively. His knowledge of optics is shown in his atmospheric quality of layering paint on figures and landscape backgrounds. There are many scientific drawings made by Leonardo that show his curiosity and understanding of nature. As an artist he was exceptional at perfecting every aspect of painting: composition, atmosphere, color, anatomy, etc. In the following pictures you can see how the orb’s reflection looks like. I’m tempted to speculate that the Da Vinci’s original was unfinished at the time he needed to give it to the king Louis XII, and it was hastily completed by one of his students. Leonardo was notorious for not finishing his projects (and not just paintings), and like in the Mona Lisa case, it’s presumed the painting traveled with the artist, and he worked on it on and off for about 5 years. Or perhaps, the referenced orb was made of a different material rather than the one shown below.
I took these pictures of the orb under different lighting conditions and points of view to illustrate the essence of a problem we see in the painting. The orb’s real reflection is very different from the painting’s. The orb can reflect in three ways. 1. The image of the surroundings turns upside down in the orb when you partially hold it or place it on a stand. 2. The orb reflects the surroundings without turning them upside down. In the second row you see my studio and me reflected in the orb. 3. The orb magnifies the palm of the hand big time (the last row). Depending on the viewer’s point of view, you may also see a weak reflection of the surroundings besides the reflected hand. But in no circumstances the orb can be as transparent as you see in the Salvator Mundi painting. So if it were painted by da Vinci, the orb could have been made of other material to have the reflections shown in the painting.
Isaacson believes that this was “a conscious decision on Leonardo’s part”,[33] and speculates that either Leonardo felt a more accurate portrayal would be distracting, or “he was subtly trying to impart a miraculous quality to Christ and his orb”.[32] Kemp, on the other hand, says the doubled outline of the heel of the hand holding the sphere—which the restorer described as a pentimento—is an accurate rendering of the refraction produced by a calcite sphere.[27]
Both of these statements are questionable. At the same time, it seems close to impossible that Leonardo would override his scientific side in favor of a creative interpretation. ( da Vinci considered himself a scientist, not a painter by writing a letter to L. Sforza of Milan offering his services to the court as a military engineer, not an artist.)
Composition and background
Many are concerned with the provenance of the da Vinci painting due to its tight, unlike-da-Vinci composition and a dark, empty background. While the background itself is of a lesser concern here because da Vinci painted several artworks with similar, dark background, what’s unclear why the figure is so frontal and sits so close to the edge.
The Lady with an Ermine, 1489 and St. John the Baptist by da Vinci | These two works are attributed to da Vinci. They both have a single figure placed in a very dark background, which is similar to the Salvator Mundi. However, the rotation of the figures is different. Leonardo loved to rotate the figures showing them at 3/4 view as well.
No realist artist would allow himself to place a figure so tight to the edge of the frame like we see in the Salvator Mundi. While this is a common mistake for a beginner artist, artists like da Vinci just couldn’t afford sacrificing composition to this degree. When the form is so close to the edge, it creates tension, which every good artist tries to avoid making. If the sleeve or hand gets cropped, it should look intentional and more definite (like we see in the Impressionists). In this painting we observe Christ’s hands and arms sitting so unbelievably close to the edge of the painting, the figure barely fits in the frame. The only explanation of such positioning is cropping of a wood panel at a later stage in history of this painting. Note that we can see the same tight cropping of the figure in the Hollar’s etching and other copy paintings! How would this be possible? Was the original painting cropped within the first 100 years of storage in a convent? What would be the reason for doing so? No adequate frame was found around to fit it in? Was the etching done not from the original da Vinci, which makes this painting forged from the etching itself?
In his art Leonardo rotated the figures to get a more dynamic and dramatic position of a model. He either twisted the figures or used three-quarters view in portraiture art. Was it his intention to reverse to the iconic imagery of the Medieval art to create a more universal image of Christ? There is a long history of iconography with frontal depiction of Christ that makes me think if Leonardo could make himself skip on his innovations in composition, reverting to this Medieval, symmetrical, iconic image of Christ.
Some argue that it’s work by Leonardo because of the triangular composition (hands and head form a triangle). However, triangles were widely used by many artists as a design element in painting. We can also argue that the Salvator Mundi is either a forgery or an inspiration for other artists by comparing its composition to the Durer’s self-portrait at 28. What’s interesting here is that although Durer was German, he traveled to Italy around that time and may have seen the da Vinci’s work-in-progress in person, because this self-portrait is drastically different from his previous two. Or we can argue that the forger tried to create this universal, frontal image of Christ basing it off of the etching and Durer’s portrait.
Durer, self-portrait at 28, 1500, oil on wood
Conclusion
The controversy surrounding Salvator Mundi is likely to continue for many years to come. Until the painting is publicly exhibited and subjected to further scientific analysis, it is impossible to say definitively whether it is a genuine work by Leonardo da Vinci. The lack of public exhibition has only fueled the debate over the painting’s authenticity. Some experts believe that the Louvre Abu Dhabi is hesitant to display the painting because they are unsure of its authenticity. Others believe that the museum is simply trying to protect the painting from damage.
The more I study the Salvator Mundi, the more questions it raises. And the deeper I go, the more puzzling the inconsistencies in its origin become. Despite my first impression that the portrait has the da Vinci’s signature appearance with every detail and magical golden glow, all the problems I’ve listed above make me think that it’s either Leonardo’s underpainting finished by his student (considered the Old Master’s work), or it’s a complete forgery. What’s clear is that it’s not enough to compare the da Vinci’s paintings visually. Only a thorough examination of all written documents as well as modern chemical analysis of the painting (and the etching) could authenticate the present Salvator Mundi by giving us the original dates. No matter how much time the experts would spend comparing this work to others done by da Vinci, there is still a lot of doubt in place if it’s his. And if it’s not a skillful forgery, Leonardo’s style is most definite in the face and the blessing hand, not in the orb, hair or fabric, which are fairly easy to forge by a contemporary realist artist or a restorer.
Of course, this painting and its origin may deserve the criticism it receives from people working in the field that includes many experts on da Vinci’s art. Perhaps it may receive some criticism from art critics like we see here by Jerry Saltz. However, if someone is not an artist, hasn’t held a brush long enough to understand how hard realist painting is, or has meager knowledge of art history should refrain from posting negative comments about the restorer on social media, which I’ve seen a lot. We can still enjoy the art and discover new secrets about Leonardo and his circle.
In 2021, a new documentary called “The Lost Leonardo” was released. The film explores the mystery surrounding Salvator Mundi and raises new questions about its authenticity. The film claims that the Louvre actually believes that the painting is a genuine da Vinci, but that they are refusing to display it because they do not want to anger the Saudi government.
Scholarly papers database http://www.jstor.org | Snow-Smith, J. (1978). The Salvator Mundi of Leonardo da Vinci. Arte Lombarda, (50), nuova serie, 69-81. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/43105161
Pietro C. Marani, Leonardo da Vinci, the complete paintings, Harry N. Abrams, inc. publishers
Windsor Castle royal collection: https://www.royalcollection.org.uk/collection/search#/page/1
William-Adolphe Bouguereau, The Queen of the angels or The Virgin with angels, closeup, 285 cm (112.2 in)x 185 cm (72.8 in), 1900, Paris
In this article I’d like to share some of the most beautiful paintings of angels created throughout art history and why I love every one of them! But first, let’s talk about the hierarchy of angels.
Hierarchy of Angels
Believe-it-or-not, angels also have their hierarchy! At least that’s how the Church saw them painted throughout art history. In large scale paintings many angels were often painted in tiers while there is only one archangel Gabriel who appears to the virgin Mary in the “Annunciation” paintings. There are a lot of Annunciation paintings! The angel comes down to announce that Mary is going to be pregnant with Christ. He carries the white lily that symbolizes Mary’s purity.
There are 9 rows /orders of angels painted in tiers. according to Joost Joustra who decodes paintings of angels in a video at the National Gallery of Art in London ( https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/stories/a-curated-look-angels?utm_source=wordfly&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=NG_2020June_Newsletter_NM&utm_content=version_A ) The very bottom tier consists of angels, then archangels, and principalities. They have human form and become the messengers to humans. The second tier consists of powers, virtues and the dominions. The third, top tier consists of baby-like angels – thrones, cherubims, and seraphims that often surround Mary and Christ in Heaven. (Source: National Gallery, London)
Bermejo (1440-1498), Spanish (Jewish)
Bartolomé Bermejo, ‘Saint Michael Triumphs over the Devil’, 1468, the National gallery, London
Bermejo was one of the most influential painters in the 15th century Spain and very few works are known to exist to our day. Recently restored, this beautiful painting is on view at the National Gallery of Art in London.
Archangel Michael wears golden suit of shiny tournament armor decorated with beautiful jewels. Realistically painted precious stones, fabric textures, incredible details, angel’s scale and colorful wings clearly show the influence of the Netherlandish artist Jan van Eyck (one of the artists shown below).
Bermejo conveys slender St. Michael jumping into action to defeat the Devil. Realistically painted, bright, floating fabric crosses the picture at a diagonal to create movement. Calm, stylized face has the female features – full, red lips, soft jawline and thin, round eyebrows.
Bartolomé Bermejo, ‘Saint Michael Triumphs over the Devil’, 1468, close up of the monster
When we stop staring at the incredible armor boots decorated with pearls and precious stones, we turn our gaze to the red-eyed monster that consists of different animal parts – a second face body, snakes, reptilian heads and tail, butterfly wings and bird-like back legs. These wings suggest that the monster is a fallen angel.
Fra Filippo Lippi (1406-1469), Italian
Fra Filippo Lippi, Annunciation, close up of angel, 1449-1459, tempera on wood, National Gallery, London| By Filippo Lippi – This file was derived from: Fra Filippo Lippi.jpg:Author of derivative work: Fulvio314, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=27581843
The friar lived in a monastery all his life and painted Christian imagery for the churches and prominent families in Italy. This painting was commissioned by the Medici family to hang in their palazzo in Florence. What I love about this painting is the angel’s peacock feather wings. Beautiful black-gold feathers appear on the angel’s shoulders as well. Gabriel is a boy in this painting.
We often see the white lily in the Christian art paintings as these flowers represent the Virgin Mary’s purity who ascended into the Heaven.
Fra Filippo Lippi, the annunciation, 1435 tempera on panel 39 by 63in, closeup of angel, the National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C.
Here is another painting’s close up of the angel painted by Lippi. The face looks less naturalistic but the peacock feather wings are super detailed.
Filippo Lippi, Annunciation, closeup of a painting in the Barberini palace, Rome, 1435, oil on wood
Fra Angelico (1395 –1455), Italian
Fra Angelico, Annunciation of Cortona, tempera on panel, closeup of angel
Fra Angelico was a Dominican friar who created altarpieces in Cortona, Florence and other towns in Italy. “Angelic” was his nickname for high moral virtues he exhibited in his daily life. Influenced by the classical school of altar painting, his iconic-like figures are wrapped up in beautiful fabrics with golden accents. This angel is frozen in action thrusting forward to deliver the message. Colorful wings, golden words and the halo celebrate the divine nature of the figure.
Michelangelo Caravaggio (1571–1610), Italian
Michelangelo Caravaggio, Rest on the Flight into Egypt 1597, close up of angel
The Italian Baroque artist was a highly influential painter who left incredible artistic legacy. Caravaggio is responsible for the creation of an entirely new movement after his death – the ‘candle light painters.’ Caravaggio began his career as a very poor young man but he quickly rose to prominence painting for the royalty and the wealthy in Rome and beyond.
The Inspiration of Saint Matthew by Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio (1571-1610), the Contarelli chapel in Rome
The artist was the innovator on so many levels using regular, often poor people as his models to depict stories from the Bible. His beautiful paintings have unusual compositions, high contrast, and naturalism. Caravaggio painted realistically, showing strong drawing skills. Look at the perfect contour lines of the legs and arms! The artist mastered human facial expressions as well as the light in perfectly-painted skin tones. And the angels’ wings look as real as the ones of a bird. In his paintings, fluid fabric creates movement, visual interest, and balance.
Jan van Eyck (1390-1441), Belgium
Jan van Eyck, The Annunciation, 1434, the National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C.
The Netherlandish artist (currently Belgium) Jan van Eyck is one of my favorite painters. This painting was part of a triptych and carries a lot of symbolism recorded in the interior space of the church. (Read about this painting here: https://www.nga.gov/collection/art-object-page.46.html )
While the artist’s figures are often out of scale in comparison to the architecture, and his use of linear perspective is intuitive, van Eyck’s incredible realism of painted textures and faces is fantastic! I learned a lot from his work studying painted jewelry, fabric, and other details. He is the greatest artist of late Gothic Northern Europe.
Jan van Eyck, The Annunciation, close up, 1434
The archangel wears an elaborate crown and bright red attire matching the ornate quality of colorful wings. Notice that Gabriel smiles delivering his message to Mary, which is quite unusual.
Not only can you appreciate these paintings, but you can also use elements from the paintings to make customized Metal Pins for commemoration or collection.
Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519), Italian
Leonardo da Vinci, “the virgin of the rocks” in Louvre & London
The Virgin of the Rocks (1483–1486 & before 1508) are two variants of similar paintings displayed in London and Paris. They do differ in many ways including how they were painted. Also in the Louvre painting the angel’s hand points at St. John the Baptist.
In the London version (right) the top color layers of paint wore of of their faces revealing a lot of black-and-white painting (underpainting). That’s why the angel in particular lacks the vibrancy of colors painted in greys and browns. Only his cloak reveals some blue-yellow hues. Yet the angel looks absolutely stunning and ethereal. This is fascinating because you can reverse-engineer the da Vinci’s oil painting technique.
da Vinci, the Virgin of the rocks, angel (painting close up), oil on panel, National Gallery, London
I love the rotation of this angel’s head and the delicate curls in his hair. Young face appears androgynous with large, serene eyes, full lips and a narrow chin. The clothing is also more elaborate than in the Louvre version with intricate pattern running across the shoulder and body. Fused with the body, grey-brown wings have no color layers left but feel very real nonetheless.
A close up of painting showing the first artwork by da Vinci – the angel Gabriel, Florence
Botticelli (1445-1510), Italian
Madonna of the Pomegranate (1487), tempera on panel, Sandro Botticelli
Italian artist, Sandro Botticelli was born in Florence. He trained in the workshops of Filippo Lippi and Verrocchio – two prominent Italian artists. Botticelli met young Leonardo da Vinci in the Verrocchio’s workshop and while their art styles are different, all these artists (Botticelli, Lippi, da Vinci, Verrocchio) have a few things in common, such as thoughtful compositions, great anatomy skills, graceful position of figures, painting of wavy hair and realistically painted fabric. Like most artists, Botticelli produced religious art for churches and prominent families. The frame for this painting consists of blue-gold lilies – the symbol of Florence where he worked most of his life.
Madonna of the Pomegranate (1487), tempera on panel, Sandro Botticelli closeup
When we look at the artist’s body of work, we see no real difference in painted faces. Madonnas and Venus look about the same and even male faces appear very similar to the female ones. The skin tones also have a very limited color palette and hardly have any color temperature shifts from warm to cool that artists often use to paint the skin realistically. He relies on graceful lines to describe the figures. This stylized, icon-like approach to painting portraits becomes his signature art style.
If Madonna gets up, her body is very tall in comparison to the surrounding angels. The baby’s body is also unnaturally large. It happened because some artists used the convex and concave mirrors in Flemish art, during the Renaissance and beyond (think 16th-century Mannerism). Artists used mirrors to see how to “compress” a large number of figures into a small, often round panel. This distortion magnifies the importance of Mary and child and also brings angels in a tight semi-circle around the main figures. The roses also have this unusual compression. Botticelli paints the angels with beautiful rotations of heads looking in different directions as they’re speaking to each other that makes this painting dynamic and naturalistic. Angels hold white lilies and roses – the symbols of Mary’s purity. The Pomegranate is a symbol of Resurrection (Source: The Great Masters of European Art, Franci, p.109).
Vernet (1789-1863), French
Vernet, Horace, Angel of death, 1851, oil on canvas, 57×44″, the Hermitage (image copyright the Hermitage)
French artist Vernet doesn’t belong to the league of top artists. He mostly painted battle scenes disliking Academic painting. This oil painting is very different from his other works. I love the glow emanating from the female figure taken away by the dark angel behind her. Young woman almost slides into the angel’s hands. She is painted at a diagonal to create dynamic composition fitting the praying man by her death bed.
Thayer (1849-1921), American
Abbott Handerson Thayer, Angel, 1887, oil on canvas, 36×28″, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington D.C.
You can find Abbott Handerson Thayer’s art at the Smithsonian museum in Washington D.C. He painted a lot of angels using family as his inspiring models. This is a portrait of his daughter Mary. I like how free his painting feels. Painterly and unfinished on the edges, the figure uncrosses her arms creating a triangle – a widely used composition in Renaissance art. Covered in white robe, this beautiful angel has ethereal facial expression that’s neither dramatic nor too sweet. White wings are so soft, I want to reach out to touch them. This painting looks very contemporary rooted in traditions of classical painting.
Abbott Handerson Thayer, Stevenson Memorial, 1903, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum
“Apart from the title, our only clue to the subject of this work is the inscription “VAEA,” the name of the mountain in Samoa where Robert Louis Stevenson is buried. Stevenson’s poetic tales of men at war with themselves had dazzled Abbott Handerson Thayer, whose own life was marked by exaltation and despair. And, like the Scotsman’s most memorable characters, the Stevenson Memorial carries a hidden story. Underneath this image is an earlier composition, a portrait of Thayer’s three children that he had painted as a tribute to Stevenson’s A Child’s Garden of Verses. But Thayer painted over this with the figure of an angel to convey a more encompassing, personal grief. The artist’s wife had died in 1891, and his many paintings of angels created thereafter suggest the mysteries of life, death, and the fate of the spirit.
The luminous angel shown here, seated at Stevenson’s tomb, is an emblem of memory, a light against oblivion. Just as Thayer’s love for his wife survived in the image of their children, Stevenson’s fame would live on in his works.”
Exhibition Label, Smithsonian American Art Museum, 2006
Winged Figure,1889, Abbott Handerson Thayer, American, 1849–1921. “I have put on wings probably more to symbolize an exalted atmosphere … where one need not explain the action of his figures.”
Canova ( 1757-1822), Italian
Antonio Canova, Psyche Revived by Cupid’s Kiss, 1794-1799, Louvre version
Incredibly talented Italian neoclassical sculptor, Antonio Canova created two versions of this sculpture. “Psyche revived by cupid’s kiss” are located in the Louvre and the Hermitage. (One of the copies is at the Met.) The artist captures Cupid, god of Love, in the moment of kissing lifeless Psyche waking her up.
According to the Roman writer Apuleius, Cupid’s mother, the goddess Venus, envious of Psyche’s beauty, sent her into the Underworld to get a vessel with Proserpina’s beauty ointment. Although Venus told Psyche not to open the bottle, Psyche did and fell asleep. Only the kiss of Cupid revived his lover.
Since ancient times Psyche has been depicted with butterfly wings. This is a reference to the dual meaning of her name, Psukhē, in Greek: soul and butterfly. Thus did the butterfly become the symbol of the immortality of the soul. The story of Psyche symbolizes the ordeals the soul must undergo in order to achieve happiness and immortality (Source: the Louvre | https://collections.louvre.fr/ark:/53355/cl010091976).
Antonio Canova, Psyche Revived by Cupid’s Kiss, 1794-1799, marble, closeup, the Hermitage version (height: 148 cm; length: 172 cm, Acquisition date: Entered the Hermitage in 1926 | the Hermitage version was originally commissioned by Prince Yusupov. The sculpture decorated one of his rooms in the Arkhangelskoye country home (outside Moscow).
I love this sensual sculpture for highly artistic presentation on the theme of love. Two life-like figures interlock the arms creating a circular movement, asking the viewer to gaze at their perfectly carved, graceful figures. Clearly inspired by classical antiquity, Canova emphasizes line quality, balance and circular movement in his unique design. He creates brilliant composition where two marble figures interlock and rotate creating ascending triangle. This dynamic movement is characteristic for romanticism. (Images are taken from wikipedia & the Louvre museum websites.)
Bouguereau is one of my favorite painters for his unbelievable knowledge of anatomy in oil painting. Most contemporary realist artists study Bouguereau’ paintings, especially how he handled the depiction of skin tones. He captures figures with perfection and grace, reveling enormous undertaking in preparatory work. His compositions show thorough knowledge of classical art and revolve around diagonals, triangles and curving lines that let us enter and travel around the painting. There is perfection and balance between shapes, curves, and diagonals in every oil painting. The artist was prolific and hardworking, spending most of his time locked in the studio painting. He is often criticized for his lighthearted subject matter painting “boring” classical nudes and stories from Greco-Roman mythology. However, such critics don’t understand the artist’s unique talents in handling color, composition and human anatomy.
Psyche abduction, By William-Adolphe BouguereauBouguereau, First Kiss, oil on canvas, 1890, private collection. By William-Adolphe Bouguereau (Unknown source, Probably Art Renewal Center, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=515543)
In the previous painting we see winged lovers flying across the sky. It’s not the only painting he created on the theme. For instance, in this painting William Bouguereau portrays Cupid and Psyche as very young children to highlight their innocence. In both paintings the butterfly wings adorn Psyche while Cupid has white, bird-like wings. In these paintings the artist creates dynamic compositions with movement and balance of every body part. This sensibility to beauty is rare to see in contemporary art.
William-Adolphe Bouguereau, The Virgin With Angels, oil on canvas, 1900
François GÉRARD (1770-187), French
François GÉRARD, Psyche and Cupid (1798), Oil on canvas, H. 1.86 m; L. 1.32 m, Paris, Musée du Louvre | (image:wikimedia commons)
This neoclassical painting was completed by one of David’s students – Gerard. Neoclassical art is characterized by smooth, unseen brushwork, the perfection of human form and classical compositions. David was a father figure in the revival of classical painting that became the 19th century neoclassicism art movement.
François GÉRARD, Psyche and Cupid (1798), Oil on canvas, Paris, Musée du Louvre, close up (image:wikimedia commons)
François Gerard gives his interpretation of the myth when yet unseen Cupid kisses Psyche surprising her. Both the butterfly (hence the butterfly wings in Bouguereau’s paintings) and the name Psyche means “soul”. So the artist depicts unity of the divine love and human soul (Source: De Vergnette François, Louvre).
I absolutely love the artist’s keen sensibility to depict a sensual touch. Cupid’s hand gracefully wraps around Psyche as he barely touches her. The perfection is in every part of this artwork – soft skin tones, balanced composition, perfect anatomy, realistic fabric, curly hair and beautiful wings, of course! This idealization of forms was criticized by the contemporaries but I think it was the very aim of the artist in his portrayal of pure love.
Raphael (1483-1520), Italian
Italian artist & architect, Raphael is the third artist of High Renaissance in Italy (Together with Michelangelo and da Vinci they formed the epitome of artistic excellence in the early 16th-century Italy). Raphael was a dashing young man who also had an easy going personality. Coupled with his talent, his persona helped him receive a constant stream of commissions from royalty including the two Popes. Raphael organized a large-scale workshop with numerous students and craftsmen fulfilling commissioned art. Although he died at the 37 years of age, he left an impressive artistic legacy, producing a large body of work with most of it located in the Vatican. Raphael incorporated the influences of his peers – da Vinci and Michelangelo to produce religious art and portraiture.
Raphael, Two Cherubs (detail of the Sistine Madonna), (c.1512 -1514), Oil on panel. 265 x 196 cm. Gemäldegalerie, Germany
This is a closeup of the altarpiece commissioned by Pope Julius in 1512 that features classical, triangular composition with the Sistine Madonna and Child floating on the clouds and two kneeling saints below them. These two cherubs were painted at the very bottom of the painting and look very different from the rest. They’re bored and curious, and remind us of little kids rather than idealized, divine creatures.
Ca’ d’ Oro palace
Ca’ d’ Oro palace, Venice, painting of angel, close up
What I love about this painting that I photographed at the Ca’ d’Oro palace in Venice is the angel’s frontal position. The angel faces us and it almost feels like he is going to speak to the viewer.
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John Duncan1866-1945, Scottish
John Duncan 1866-1945 | Scottish national gallery, St.Bride, 1913John Duncan 1866-1945 (Scottish), St.bride 1913 detail | Scottish National GalleryJohn Duncan (1866-1945), Scottish, St. bride, 1913
Duncan studied art in Scotland, England and Belgium to settle in Edinburgh in 1892. The artist represents the Celtic Revival movement in Scottish art and his illustrative style looks innovative even today. This colorful painting looks like it’s made of collaged pieces as religious symbols, and even the ornate frame mimic’s the artist’s unique style.
“According to the legend of the Irish Saint Bride she was transported miraculously to Bethlehem to attend the nativity of Christ. Here two angels carry the white robed saint across the sea. The seascape reflects Duncan’s fascination with the Outer Hebrides and the Isle of Iona. The birds and seal provide an effective naturalistic foil for the supernatural angels overlapping the patterned border. Scenes from the life of Christ decorate the angel’s robes, and may include the artist’s self-portrait as the tiny clown (a holy fool) accompanying the procession of the magi on the leading angel’s gown. ” (Source: Scottish National Gallery)
Angel, Salamanca, SpainVirgin and Child with Four Angels by Gerard David, Netherlandish, ca. 1510–15, On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 636, http://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/436102
“Gerard David, the leading painter in Bruges in the late fifteenth century, followed the legacy of Jan van Eyck. In this painting, he has taken the Virgin and Child from his predecessor’s well-known Virgin and Child at the Fountain, but modernized the composition by placing the figures in a grand arched porch flanked by columns with Italianate capitals, against the skyline of contemporary Bruges. A Carthusian monk is seen strolling and reading in the enclosed garden, suggesting that the painting was linked to the former monastery at Genadedael, just outside the city walls of Bruges.”-description taken from the Met
Virgin and Child with Four Angels by Gerard David, closeup, ca. 1510–15, On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 636Hans Memling, the Annunciation, 1465, closeup of the angel, on view at the Met http://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/437490
Hans Memling painted realistic textures and details in a similar style of van Eyck. The composition is based on a design by Rogier van der Weyden where he probably was an apprentice before establishing himself in Bruges in 1465.
Contemporary art art Art Fair Miami 2023 | Coderch and Malavia, ALIS VOLAT PROPRIIS, sculpture, photo: V WintersRaffael Sanzio, Saint Michael Vanquishing Satan, oil painting
My art inspired by the paintings of angels
Create, colored pencil drawing, 19×25 inchesDivine Spirit, 24×36″ oil on canvas panelMessenger, colored pencil drawing with glitter and resin, 16×20 inches, unframed
Did you like these paintings of angels? What is your favorite? Do you have other paintings of angels that you love? If you love this article, share it on social media. So more people see beautiful art.
All art is copyrighted by respective artists and museums. All art is used for educational purposes only.
Situated about an hour away from Edinburgh, Abbotsford house is the home of Sir Walter Scott, famous 19th-century Scottish poet, novelist, politician, judge and historian. The son of a city lawyer, he was born in Edinburgh’s Old Town in 1771. Scott spent a lot of time at his grandparents’ farm in the Scottish Borders where he acquired interests on old Scottish poetry, fairy-tales, history and ancient customs of the land. Scott grew up in a wealthy and loving family but it didn’t protect him from insanitary conditions in Edinburgh (just like elsewhere in Europe in that period). The boy had poor health and remained lame in his leg after his illness with polio. Most of his siblings died in infancy.
Gardens of the Abbotsford house, built in 1824 in the 19th century Scottish Baronial style.
Is it worth the visit?
Yes, if you know that you can tour just the first floor of the entire castle! Although it was fun and educational, I wish I could walk around the castle and see more rooms, not just the first floor. At the entrance, you’ll receive a tour guide to learn more about history of this place and life of Sir Walter Scott. There is a luxury hotel inside the castle and it explains why tourists are limited to tour the first floor only. The garden grounds are open for visitors and they are beautiful! There are walking paths in the woodlands around Abbotford as well. So you may want to have an overnight stay at a luxury hotel and do some hiking/walking during summer to relax and enjoy the English countryside.
Abbotsford house, green room
Writing
Sir Walter Scott was a successful and popular novelist of the 19th-century Romanticism period, in which he combined history, politics and fiction. His books and poems include:
The Lay of the Last Minstrel (1805)
Minstrelsy of the Scottish Borders (1802)
Marmion (1808)
Lady of the Lake (1810)
Waverley (1814)
Along with Guy Mannering (1815)
The Antiquary (1816)
The Tale of Old Mortality (1816)
The Bride of Lammermoor (1819)
The Heart of Midlothian (1818)
Ivanhoe (1820).
Library
Sir Walter Scott amassed amazing collection of books. Nothing has been moved or claimed lost and it’s really neat to see these rare books carefully arranged in categories according to subject. Dark brown cupboards display these beautiful books without glass under metal lace covers, and the rooms containing the library are very dark and mysterious. The library displays Scott’s wide interests and reading habit to inspire his own writing.
Abbotsford house, libraryAbbotsford house, build-in cupboards filled with rare booksScott’s book library with a staircase (left)chest at AbbotsfordAbbotsford house, first floor interior viewFirst floor interior view
Location:
The 120 acre estate, Abbotsford has walking paths around it in woodlands, which could be a pleasant hike in nice weather. The visitor center has the map with routes and storage facilities.
In this article I’d like to introduce you to a lesser known art gallery in the art world that offers some beautiful paintings including Scottish art. Its central location makes it a pleasant stroll from Edinburgh Old Town to the museum gallery in a nice weather. The National gallery is free, although it may charge you for some special exhibitions.
John Duncan (1866-1945) St.bride, 1913, detail | Scottish National Gallery
# 1 A mix of big names and beautiful paintings
John Singer Sargent
John Singer Sargent, Lady Agnew of Lochnaw
Although some famous artists like Sargent, Raphael, Hals, Gainsborough & Botticelli occupy the walls, it’s nice to see lesser known painters presented in the art museum as well. In a way, they run the show with art pieces of greater impact. The gallery opens with Sargent’s Lady Agnew of Lochnaw, and Hugo van der Goes’ Margaret of Denmark, Queen of Scotland altarpiece, 1478. The art museum pleasantly surprises with some 19-th century epic paintings of colossal size produced in prints for the popular market at that time period.
Thomas Gainsborough
Thomas Gainsborough, The Honourable Mrs Graham (1757 – 1792) 1775 , painting close-up, Scottish National Gallery
English portrait and landscape painter, Gainsborough had a successful career during his lifetime. Like Van Dyck, he painted royalty but also included imaginative English landscapes behind the figures. A rival of Reynolds, the artist was a founder member of the Royal Academy in 1768.
The Honourable Mrs Graham is an amazing full-length portrait that features painterly brushwork and sophisticated shades of grey. Dressed in a beautiful gown, young woman exhibits elegance and confidence. Daughter of Baron Cathcart, she married the Perthshire landowner Thomas Graham and after her death, Graham passed the painting to her sister. It was bequeathed to the National Gallery by one of their descendants on condition that it never leaves Scotland.
Sir Edwin Landseer
The Monarch of the Glen, Sir Edwin Landseer, 1851, Scottish National Gallery
Painted in the 19th century Romanticism era, this artwork almost overwhelms viewers with its powerful representation of majestic animal. Depicting a single deer as a symbol of the vastness and majesty of Scotland, this piece is huge, colorful and breathtaking when viewed in person. The oil painting was reproduced in prints, and achieved even greater success in the twentieth century used in marketing campaigns.
#2 A great place for a family visit.
You won’t be overwhelmed by endless corridors, galleries, and installations. The art museum is quite intimate that makes it easy to devote some quality time to cultural education and to introduce children to art.
Sir Joshua Reynolds
Sir Joshua Reynolds, The Ladies Waldegrave, 1780, painting close up, Scottish National Gallery
English artist, Sir Joshua Reynolds was a founding member of the Royal Academy of Arts and its first president. He painted portraits of royalty and nobility in classical tradition relying on strong compositions and referencing historical painting. Yet, his loose brushwork looks fresh and contemporary similar to Sargent.
In a large-scale painting we see three sisters, the daughters of the 2nd Earl Waldegrave, busy working on some needlework. Expertly painted, the composition draws us in with figures carefully arranged in a semicircle, reminiscent of the Three Graces from antiquity.
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John Duncan (1866-1945), Scottish, St. bride, 1913
Duncan studied art in Scotland, England and Belgium to settle in Edinburgh in 1892. The artist represents the Celtic Revival movement in Scottish art and his illustrative style looks innovative even today. This colorful painting looks like it’s made of collaged pieces as religious symbols, and even the ornate frame mimic’s the artist’s unique style.
“According to the legend of the Irish Saint Bride she was transported miraculously to Bethlehem to attend the nativity of Christ. Here two angels carry the white robed saint across the sea. The seascape reflects Duncan’s fascination with the Outer Hebrides and the Isle of Iona. The birds and seal provide an effective naturalistic foil for the supernatural angels overlapping the patterned border. Scenes from the life of Christ decorate the angel’s robes, and may include the artist’s self-portrait as the tiny clown (a holy fool) accompanying the procession of the magi on the leading angel’s gown. “
from the website of Scottish National Gallery
William Bell Scott
William Bell Scott, Una and the Lion, Scottish National Gallery
Influenced by the Pre-Raphaelites, William and his brother were trained as artists at the Trustees’ Academy in Edinburgh and worked for their father who was an engraver before becoming full-time artists.
“Scott’s painting was inspired by Edmund Spenser’s sixteenth-century poem ‘The Faerie Queen’. In the poem, Una is the beautiful young daughter of a king and queen who have been imprisoned by a ferocious dragon. Una undertakes a quest to free her parents, but on her journey she encounters a fierce lion. The lion is so captivated by Una’s innocence and beauty that he abandons his plan to eat her, and vows instead to become her protector and companion. Scott shows Una gently resting her fingers in the lion’s terrific mane, as they make their way through the autumnal wood together.”
from the website of Scottish National Gallery
#4 Central location
Museum’s central location makes it easy to get in and out. There is no standing in long lines (like going to the Castle).
Views of Edinburgh from the Castle and central streets
Francois-Xavier Fabre
Francois-Xavier Fabre, Portrait of a Man, 1809, Scottish National Gallery
By looking at this painting of Fabre the influence of neoclassical painter Jacques-Louis David is clear. This portrait is exceptionally painted with masterful sense of color, light, and unseen brushwork (characteristic of the neoclassical painters). Unknown young man’s intense gaze is captivating and his fashionable clothes and hair are beautifully arranged into a simple, yet elegant composition. A pupil of David, the artist won the French Academy’s Rome Prize in 1787 and spent most of his life in Italy. Fabre was a very popular portrait and historic painter who was also an art collector! His art collection consists of 16-17th century Italian paintings housed in the Musée Fabre, Montpellier.
# 5 Free of charge
Free. You can’t beat that. Plus when I visited the exhibitions in the fall of 2019 part of the gallery was under construction. It would open with new galleries of Scottish art soon. That’s exciting! Open daily, 10am-5pm. Thursdays until 7pm. Location: The Mound, Edinburgh, Scotland. Check current hrs. and more here: https://www.nationalgalleries.org/visit/scottish-national-gallery
Paul Delaroche
Paul Delaroche, Study for the Head of Christ for La Madeleine, (Portrait of Eugène Buttura) 1834, Scottish national gallery
Classically trained French artist Paul Delaroche painted scenes from French and English history. Delaroche served as a professor at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris where he trained many students including Couture and Gérôme. His two major, large-scale works include The Execution of Lady Jane Grey in the National Gallery in London and 27-meter long The Hemi-Cycle. This painting reminds of Raphael’s School of Athens, only here he depicts over seventy artists from various epochs caught in conversation.
This small portrait of his friend Eugène Buttura proves the artist’s great knowledge of anatomy and oil painting technique. Wrapped up in his thoughts, the man appears lifelike. Man’s face baths in intriguing, soft light, pulling us in to know more about this person.
Frans Hals, painting closeup, Scottish National Gallery
Other notable paintings:
Jan Steen, A School for Boys and Girls About 1670 (Dutch)
Jan Lievens, Portrait of a Young Man About 1631 (Dutch), a contemporary and friend of Rembrandt
Jan van Huysum, Flower Still Life with Bird’s Nest About 1718 (Netherlandish), excellent, famous still life painter of flowers.
Joseph Farquharson, Winter Day at Finzean 1901 (Scottish), famous painter of textures of snow
Sir Daniel Macnee, A Lady in Grey, 1859 (Scottish), leading Scottish portrait painter
Paul Gauguin Vision of the Sermon (Jacob Wrestling with the Angel), 1888 (French)
Raphael, Mary and Child, around 1507
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Dali museum in Figueres, Spain | One of Dali’ melting clocks jewelry pieces shown at the Spanish museum
Review of the Dali Museum in Spain
There’s no doubt that Salvador Dali is one of the greatest 20th-century surrealist artists. Up to this day the artist defines every exhibition and art review dedicated to the surrealist movement. Although, the artist was bold to exit the group to develop his vision further, Dali was the leading figure in the surrealism movement. His surreal paintings are in numerous art collections and museums today, however if you look at his humble artistic beginnings, they were truly humble.
In the art museum located in Figueres, Spain I saw a number of his early paintings that closely resembled Picasso, Signac, Matisse and even some abstract painters. Dali’ early paintings were imitations of the modernists that showed no obvious “talent” or ability to become the famous artist. I dare to say that he made a bunch of bad paintings in his early career!
Salvador Dali early paintings look like copies of the contemporaries and modernists…
In his next period his work became quite consistent in theme and style but his paintings still lacked contrast, color, strong composition, and his unique subject matter he eventually developed and became famous for. His paintings of figures made of stones expressed his search for his voice as well as his desire to learn classical oil painting technique working from life. He made set ups of stones to paint from them like any realist artist would do. In the pictures below you can see Dali’s attempts to paint his unique ideas from life.
Dali-theater museum in Figueres, Spain | Salvador Dali paintings of stonesThis lithography prints and a sculpture illustrate Salvador Dali’s unique voice and expression that were getting close to his most famous paintings in the surrealism style, exploring the subconscious mind or dreams such as the Persistence of Memory in 1931…Inside the museum you find both paintings and installations. This is one of them. The top image shows a big prism/mirror through which you can see a display of objects below – they become a female face, which is a form of op art.
The art museum doesn't have many famous paintings inside. I think most of them are in private art collections and art museums in the US and Europe. However, it gives a good overview of his early career and experimentation before arriving at his famous surrealist art style.
It’s quite amazing to face the Dali’s progression from bad art to beautiful surrealism. Here we can see Dali’s various painting styles before arriving at his signature surreal paintings of dreams and subconscious mind….
Salvador Dali surrealist jewelry in Spain
Dali museum in Figueres, Spain | One of Dali’ jewelry pieces shown at the Spanish museum
While the Dali Theater-museum in Figueres doesn’t display top art collection of Salvador Dali painting, a surprising gem is a separate building of the museum filled with surreal jewelry pieces! Dali’s talent and vision manifests itself in his original, animated jewelry. It combines the use of painting, metals, precious stones and built-in mechanisms to animate jewelry pieces, creating a surreal feeling. In his surreal jewelry we see emotion of the beating Ruby heart. We can watch an icon-like piece with an opening and closing door. There is a revolving, sparkling cornstalk with flapping angel’s wings.
Ruby Heart at the Dali museum in Spain. The red part of the heart has the movement imitating the heart beat!
It’s not enough to have a talent. Over the years I had a chance to teach art to numerous wonderful students, including several super-talented high school students who could have become skillful artists someday. None of them went to an art college after graduation for various reasons. Talent itself isn’t a prerequisite to have a successful artistic career. Talent doesn’t equal to an obsessive desire to succeed as an artist. There are lots of people with artistic talents who are not strong enough to push themselves forward when it gets really tough. There is not enough introspection and drive. Those artists can create to the point of meeting requirements only, and leave the profession way before they can develop fully to succeed. While it looks like a negative statement, obsessiveness becomes a necessity in creative profession to overcome daily challenges. It also enforces perseverance, develops social skills and builds goals along the way. Artists become artists when they understand that they can’t live without the very process of art creation.
Dali museum in Figueres, Spain | This is a closeup of the Dali’ jewelry piece exhibited at the Spanish museum
By looking at the Dali’s career trajectory we must consider our own impatience with ourselves and what talent means in short term and in the long run. If he gave up in the beginning of his career, he wouldn’t be famous surrealist painter making history today. When I browse through my files of old artwork, I can’t believe the fact that I can paint so much better today. Improvement is not instant. There is no magic dust in the process of learning. It’s all about steady work and commitment to the art form. We all want to have quick results, but to get there patience with yourself is a requirement. When students call me to study art, I don’t look at their “talent.” While Talent will be developed and cultivated, I teach art because people need art education. Art, theater and music are about introspective work and emotion. Society values merchandise over experiences. Public school is largely about cranking formulas and testing. There are not enough classes to feed the soul. I simply wish to expend my students’ worldview with art because talented kids is the future.
Jewelry piece by Salvador Dali
Dali museum in Spain: https://www.salvador-dali.org/en/museums/dali-theatre-museum-in-figueres/ (If you decide to visit this museum, be aware that the tickets are sold by day and time due to great popularity and a constant influx of people. Plan ahead and buy them online to ensure your visit.)
Hyperrealist oil paintings and colored pencil drawings
Even if you are not an art geek, you can’t deny the fact that hyperrealist art commands attention and let’s us appreciate the incredible artistry of new generation of artists. Although hyper-realism is still a gentle spring in the river of contemporary art cacophony, it’s been gaining prominence among art collectors, galleries and art museums alike for the past two decades. An offshoot of photorealism, contemporary art hyperrealism takes photography to a whole new level when we see not only a faithful copying of reality, but also a highly artistic interpretation of the subject, light and meaning that result in beautiful works of art.
Aesthetic, visual perception, cultural impact and unique narrative play a great role in creation of hyper-realistic paintings today. Unlike almost mechanical copying of reality we observe in photorealism painting, contemporary hyper-realists focus more on creative design, story, and emotion, painting from their combination of references. Although photography is an integral part to this creative process, knowing how to take great reference and to use it well is a highly artistic skill that’s unique to every contemporary artist you see here. While subjects may vary greatly from still life to portraiture to imaginative realism, the hyperrealism art is about creation of new reality – the illusion so real, you want to reach out and touch it. The following artists share their unique vision with us, inviting viewers into their personal reality. By reading their statements here you can understand how individual and complex their emotional journey is to arrive at their present state of visual excellence in art.
Contemporary hyperrealist artists
Sheryl Luxenburg
Sheryl Luxenburg, Light On My Shoulder, acrylic on paper, 24×36 inches, 2014
This painting is about growing up and reaching adult maturity. Really about the fact that it often can take aging to our senior years, to finally understand what this means.
Canadian hyperrealist painter, Sheryl Luxenburg works in watercolor, airbrush, and acrylic paint to depict women in intense psychological states of confusion, dread, conflict, anger or numbness that often mirror the artist’s past emotions. Her female figures are pressed against misted glass or submerged in water to express a fatigued state of mind we may experience in distress. Luxenburg’s interest in human condition comes from her vast practice as a licensed psychotherapist specializing in trauma and PTSD.
Jason de Graaf, Latitude, 33 x 37,” acrylic on panel.
For me my paintings are a way of communicating with the world. Not necessarily about communicating concrete ideas about anything but more to express my sense of humor and taste, my perspective on life, the human condition, the art world and the absurdity.
Dramatically lit, hyperrealistic paintings of a Canadian artist Jason de Graff are carefully constructed still lifes that become alternate reality. Depicting specular reflections with incredible mastery, Jason often arranges his objects horizontally to balance all the shapes out with ardent perfection. Utilizing cool color palette, hyper-realistically painted glass, books, berries and even earbuds almost feel alive, having an unexplained connection to each other, telling a story. Strategically placed a pop of color – red in gummies, marbles and berries alike infuses the artist’s paintings with striking visual balance and enigma. Every acrylic painting shows Jason’s incredible sense of color, mood and design. In de Graaf’s artwork we see familiar objects that take on new roles and attributes to mesmerize us.
Contact: http://www.jasondegraaf.com/ and https://www.instagram.com/jason_de_graaf/
Jacob A. Pfeiffer
Jacob A. Pfeiffer, “Party Crasher”, 27 x 17 inches, oil on panel, 2017
The objects I include in my paintings are often deeply personal and remind me of something joyful or silly that I have experienced. Creating whimsy and beauty in my art is most meaningful to me. With my tongue firmly planted in my cheek, I try to infuse my subject matter with visual puns, wordplay and metaphor in order to offer the viewer a respite from the serious times that we live in.
American hyperrealist painter, Jacob A. Pfeiffer works in warm and neutral palette of colors to create humorous and simple oil paintings that make us ponder over levitating sacks of fruit, bowling balls, goldfish or shoes, which strike a perfect relationship to objects below them. These realist paintings show the influence of Magritte when objects are taken out of their expected context and placed into a new environment irrationally. In his work however, Pfeiffer manages to create a deliberate, psychological relationship between such objects. For example, we see a goldfish in a fish tank with three paper planes hoovering over it. Titled “Flying fish,” this realistic painting makes us think of the importance of the environment we may be in to actually be able to fly, or perhaps the fact that the fish can’t fly per se. In “Party crasher” we observe a play of words and objects, creating a visual riddle in his painting. Classically trained, the artist brings humanity into his hyperrealistic painting that becomes a lot more significant than a plain recreation of reality.
Jane Jones, Rose Duet, 29 x 36, 2018, oil on canvas
Every one of my paintings is a prayer for the appreciation and preservation of nature. For an artist, nature is a vast subject. My choice is to focus on the details that I find so intriguing; flowers. When they are infused with sunlight the colors are breathtaking, and the curves, curls and sweeps of the petals create a mesmerizing dance. Frequently I include rocks in my compositions as reminders that everything upon which life depends, comes from the Earth. I am concerned about the disruption of the balance of nature, and have to believe in and paint the everyday triumphs of nature. The aesthetic pleasure of illuminated colors and forms is obvious in my paintings. I am also interested in beauty. It is something people respond to, is uplifting and hopeful…the desire for it is universal. Flowers occupy the elevated level of beauty, which moves us and evokes notes of aspiration to vibrate within us.
Jane Jones is an American artist who paints colorful flowers with poetic simplicity. Gorgeous textures and vivid colors of tulips, irises and roses stir our imagination. Thanks to home gardening in Colorado, the artist is able to capture the crisp light on her favorite subjects with remarkable clarity and detail. Painting in classical tradition, the artist manifests her love for nature in beautiful compositions that exhibit an unbelievable sense of balance among flowers, fabric and background space.
If you’re interested to learn about Jones’ oil painting techniques, go to the artist’s website to browse a selection of helpful materials. Contact: http://www.janejonesartist.com/
Sharon Sprung
Sharon Sprung, The Screenwriter’s Daughter, oil on panel, 36 x 42″
My paintings are a carefully observed negotiation, manipulated layer upon layer in order to create a work of art as equivalent as possible to the complexity of real life. They are an attempt to control the almost uncontrollable substance that is oil paint, and the equally untamable expression of the human condition.
American artist Sharon Sprung paints from female models directly to create colorful oil paintings that unite subjects with their space. Her nude, semi-nude, and clothed models have no predictable luster, rather they convey sensuality coming from personal strength, confidence and resilience. The painted women look comfortable posing or at rest, modeling in space of the Art Students League of New York where the artist is also an instructor of painting.
Contact: http://www.sharonsprung.com/
Jesse Lane
Jesse Lane, Adrenaline, 40 x 27 inches, colored pencils on paper
Throughout my body of work, I tell stories of recovery. Adrenaline is about accepting loss. While the water is beating down on the figure, his pose remains somewhat graceful. Rather than becoming beaten down, he seems to thrive off of what’s hitting him. Struggle can do that to us. While it beats us down at first, eventually we rise up stronger because of it.
Jesse Lane creates unbelievable, hyperrealistic colored pencil drawings that often become his self-portraits, showing signs of personal survival, acceptance, and strength. Both male and female figures are exposed to dramatic lighting conditions reminiscent of Caravaggio and Rembrandt. Set under a strong, directional yellow light, the artist’s close-up portraits are more than hyperreal – they are emotionally intense. Colored pencil drawing is an incredibly slow process and such large-scale work commands the artist’s dedication and love for the art form to produce realistic figurative drawings.
I’ve struggled with these questions (defining meaning in art) since the beginning of my art career. I usually think of myself as a pretty introspective person, and someone who searches for meaning in my life. But since the 1st time people asked me to explain the meaning in my paintings I have struggled to find it. The way I find my subject matter for my paintings seems to be a real gut instinct. I see something, in my real life, nature, other artists work, even an interesting tv show or movie. And it stirs my imagination and I start to build a concept for a composition. I’ll work with a drawing, adding and subtracting elements intuitively, till I get this rush of emotion that tells me I’m onto something good. I keep working with it, using photography and Photoshop to put together something that actually makes me joyful. Then I begin the painting using my reference photos.
But after the process is over, painting finished and sent away, I sometimes get a clearer insight into what might have motivated me. For many years my paintings were based on a series I called ” WindowScapes”. They were what I like to call “gentle rooms”. Not fussy, simple furniture and wood floors. A room I would find peaceful. Behind the furniture, would be a window, also simple, double hung, divided light, commonly found in homes. But then the drama comes in by adding an open window with white curtains flowing in a breeze, and through the window a soothing scene. Gentle oceans and soft mountains. After composing these images, it always felt like I had cured what ailed me.
Later, I started to understand that to me , the world , like the oceans and mountains, was beautiful and exciting, but because I feel so vulnerable at times, I created a world where the safety and separateness of experiencing it from through a window made me feel protected. And I’ve experienced some losses in my life, and I believe the empty chairs in my paintings might be spaces for those losses. Or maybe the empty chairs are waiting for me or the viewer to fill with ourselves.
For the last 10 or 12 years, I’ve been trying to move towards a vegan diet. I’m terribly disturbed by what happens to animals on factory farms. I hate needless suffering, especially to defenseless animals. So my images are about escaping! Animals getting free from these horrible tragic lives. And as I write this, I realize that I also feel the weight of suffering in my own life and my need to escape from it, so I personally feel this need to escape my suffering too. I don’t want to get too preachy, but when I realized that a meat based diet was the reason for so much disease in our lives, and destruction of our planet, and created so much suffering to the animals and humans who have to work in the slaughter houses, it just seemed like a no brainer to me. I stopped contributing to it by eating a plant based diet, and began to create images with animals that hopefully will cause people to have more empathy for these wonderful creatures we get to share our world with.
So the painting I’m showing here is titled “Rescue” through the kindness and courage of the sheep and the crow, a rescue mission is in progress to save the bunnies. Under the dark of night, with only the light of a partial moon and bright star, these hopeful creatures have taken their future into their own “paws”. I wish them only the best!
Sharon Kow, In This Quiet Moment, 14 x 20 inches (35 x 50 cm), colored pencils on paper
There is something about quietness. That particular moment where we are able to hear our innermost thoughts. A time for reflection, contemplation with a hint of melancholy. To retreat into the quietness is not selfish, it is a dissonance that we need to appreciate what we have, to mature and transfigure us. Being an artist, a moment of quietness is priceless. It is a time when I can be my true self, to listen to my inner voice. I let out all of the anger, bitterness and sadness that were buried deep inside without hurting anyone else. It is a way to purge out all those negative thoughts and thereafter, move on with a positive mind.
Sharon is one of few hyperrealist colored pencils artists working in Malaysia. What’s even more fantastic that the artist became one in her early forties, grasping the drawing concepts so quickly. While her hyperreal drawings rely on photography, the artist portrays more than snapshots of color and light in her art. Many of her pieces depict close-ups of elaborate mechanical constructions, such as an old typewriter, broken clock mechanisms, rusted chains and metal parts. Such colored pencil drawings communicate a feeling of subtle melancholy and introspection with Time playing a crucial role in all human experiences.
Emanuele Dascanio, The Father doesn’t want a divorce with Die Mutter, charcoal & graphite on paper, 80x65cm
I focus more not on the specific pieces of art, but more on the way to do art. I try to do something that mirrors our constantly changing world, our vision and the way we live. It’s introspective and emotional. I balance art with science and emotion to create my images. I don’t call myself an artist, rather an authority to make order of things. The dust on paper is not very important, but how I make order of this dust to appear as a complete image is my job. While my images represent something different, I love to take some reference from the past because only if you know where we come from, we know where we are going.
Italian hyperrealist artist Emanuele Dascanio works in charcoal, pencil and paint to depict life as he sees it – gigantic and powerful. Spectacular lighting creates mystery in his hyperrealistic drawings and paintings that depict people and still life alike with sensual realism. Classically trained, the artist also uses photography to capture fast-moving details, such as running water or purged juice on the fruit to incorporate these effects into his art. Influenced by Raphael, Michelangelo and Caravaggio, the artist mostly draws from life to create sublime images of light and dark.
Contact: http://emanueledascanio.org/
Sergey Piskunov
Sergey Piskunov, Girl in pink II, oil painting
The water’s surface reflects the combination of cold blue and warm peach encountered at the intersection of two elements. This painting gives us the opportunity to see a familiar world at an unusual angle that is hauntingly beautiful and striking.
Ukrainian artist Sergey Piskunov paints portraits of women submerged in water, cellophane and even facial masks. Some sexual, some not the lighthearted portraits look incredibly real with facial expressions and color choices capturing the mood of joy and fun.
Contact: https://www.facebook.com/piskunovart/
In conclusion, artist’s personality and dedication to the art form determines the nature and outcome of the painting process. While being introspective, every generation of artists reflects on the world, leaving social, cultural or even political commentary in art. In this roundup of hyperrealist artists we can observe a testament to deliberate process that’s emotionally charged. So let’s cross our fingers for this art form to create a positive change in our tumultuous world.
Please contact all artists directly.
Other hyper-realist artists to check out:
Marcello Barenghi, Heather Rooney, Tjalf Sparnaay, Douglas Flynt, Yigal Ozeri, Clio Newton, Mike Dargas, Alyssa Monks, and Collin Bogle.
In the first video you got introduced to classical painting created before the 20th century. In this article let’s talk about some contemporary art to figure out why some “childish” paintings cost millions while relatively good art remains undervalued. Before I say anything about it, I’d like to note that I’m not an art critic, and I’m here not to judge artists, rather I’d like to explain what’s great about contemporary painting, so you’d consider my understanding of art to make your own decisions. I also encourage you to reach out to mentioned artists directly via their websites or Instagram. This video and writing are created as part of my mission to educate and inspire others to value art.
Video #2
Art & art marketing are two opposing forces
When everything is entertainment and the entertainment is everything, provoking the public to engage with contemporary art becomes a necessity. Artists compete with the media and each other and often try to engage with the audience, either shocking you with their art, or innovating the process somehow that generates publicity, sparks a conversation, and engages you. Performance art, installation art, shinny sculpture or moving video image attract us a lot more than a silent wall painting. Contemporary art museums try to catch up with the social media and modern times, making installations that encourage interaction, taking of selfies and other social media activities. Contemporary art paintings often don’t make any sense unless they are explained. As viewers we are often forced not to rely on our senses judging the painting’s visuals that’s inherited from concept painting or abstract expressionism. We have to search for meaning in shown art in artist statements or curatorial writing.
Jeff Koons announced his art sculpture as a “gift” to Paris of the ‘Bouquet of Tulips’ that would cost a 3.5 million euros to install that would be funded by a fundraising. One of the wealthiest artists in the world, Koons donated his concept to the city that doesn’t cover the cost of construction.
Quality of art hardly matters these days, and many artists are sold based on their publicity stunts and marketing efforts. Therefore popularity and name recognition that we call ‘branding’ becomes vital to the artist’s career. (We can look at great art marketers – Jeff Koons, Marina Abramovic, or Damien Hirst).
While performance art can be powerful caring a message, it largely relies on a shock value to deliver that message. By following this link, you can see how low we as people can go, to take advantage of others. https://www.elitereaders.com/performance-artist-marina-abramovic-social-experiment/ Over the years I saw several installations by Abramovic, and they varied significantly in their message, shock value and impact.
Marina Abramovic’s 6-hour performance art showed a quick escalation of sexual harassment and violence among people by letting them do whatever they wanted to her body.
Not all artists travel this road and focus on cultivating their clientele based on their artistic vision and skill. If art is not political or socially charged, it’s much harder for an artist to get noticed based on vision, and this is the cornerstone for a lot of creatives out there. Does the artist change his mindset to work for the market attracting attention in new ways, or stays true to himself, creating art for the art’s sake?
Copyright Jeff Koons, Balloon Dog
Art buying tiers and social behavior
Art buying has its own tier system. The lowest tier – is the tier of consumerism. Because we see artistic creations all around us, it desensitizes us and makes good art look unattractive, cheap and unnecessary purchase. We don’t buy originals, rather get posters and merchandise that makes practical sense because we either can’t afford the original of the contemporary artists we like, or we don’t want to make a commitment buying original art. Regardless the intent, most people buy prints. However, there is not much value in giclee prints in the long run. However, print sales support the aspiring artist, giving him/her a chance to develop artistically and not give up doing art. Limited edition signed prints hold more value for the collectors as well as allow artists to cover some of their studio costs.
Some prints doe have value. These are hand-pooled lithographs, silkscreens and other prints made based on traditional methods in printmaking. Printmaking is the original art form where you can get a few multiples or additions.
The middle tier – is where the market agrees to pay the artist anywhere between $100 and 1K for original art. The upper middle tier is where most artists want to sell their art because it covers the cost of living. These art collectors who buy original art at this price point love art and have the means to appreciate and support the artist.
In the top tier purchases we see hedge fund managers and the ultra rich, who are mostly driven by financial investment rather than art appreciation. Today we see famous contemporary art selling at epic prices. Money becomes the absolute that determines the value of the artist and his work at the Sotheby’s and other art auction houses.
(AJean-Michel Basquiat painting rocketed to $110.5 million. The previous record was $105.4 million paid for Andy Warhol’s “Silver Car Crash, Double Disaster” four years ago. Pablo Picasso, Garcon a la pipe, 1881-1973 went for 104.168 million, Edvard Munch, the Scream, 1895 sold for $119.922 million). Obviously, these are the sales where art is bought and sold as an investment only. Most buyers are Wall street hedge fund managers, Russian oligarchs, oil magnates and other billionaires that push the art prices up. To understand this motivation isn’t hard. To see why visually terrible art sells, you can watch a documentary on Netflix titled Blurred Lines: inside the art world. Exit through the Gift Shop that shows you how an unknown street artist made his first million by taking risks and employing smart marketing tactics.
Jean Michel-Basquiat, Untitled, 1982, Courtesy of Sotheby’s New YorkWillem de Kooning, Woman III, 1950s | Abstract expressionism
So how do we decide what’s good or bad art? I’d like to encourage you to make your own judgement as opposed to relying on experts and art critics, if you’re not buying art for investment purposes only. You either love it or not. You decide what’s meaningful to you, what moves and engages you on a much deeper level that’s not associated with publicity stunts, big name investment or marketing gimmicks.
The Smithsonian museum, Reclining Dress Impression with Drapery by Karen Lamonte, glass. I took this picture in the museum blown away by the complexity of its form that’s made of glass. http://www.karenlamonte.com/Artist-Talks-Lectures
Art is a business
Capitalism is unforgiving. This system of art sales leads to art market manipulation and the sales of art that’s not art but is represented as such to the wealthy by powerful dealers and curators. This is one of the reasons why we see ugly paintings at contemporary art fairs and art museums today. Art is a business and a collusion of sorts.
Art galleries, curators and dealers have their own tiers. Many of them are vanity galleries that charge artists thousands of dollars for representation and those artists who can afford it become part of the fairs. Their art is not great or even good to be called art, but because they have a way of paying for their space, they receive representation from small curators and dealers who offset their costs, making a living this way.
Financially strong and established galleries take on new artists who have consistent art production and sales as well as develop good relationship with the gallery owners. Competition among artists for getting into a really good gallery that takes care of the artist’s sales and pays 50% of the retail price is fierce. Competition for a spot under the sun encourages jealousy and rivalry among many contemporary artists I know, but not all. Many artists remain humble and sweet to their kind and tend to help out when asked properly.
Art is a tough business for many small and medium size art galleries because of high overhead costs that often eat most of the profit. Many small galleries close, move or go out of business as people shop for art online more. And just like the retailers, they experience a loss of clientele. This trend gives independent artists an opportunity to sell their art directly to clients bypassing the middleman. Therefore, learning the art of business and online marketing for the artist is just as important as making art.
Andy Warhol silkscreen print found at the auction in Naples, FL
Art education today
There is purposeful deskilling of art in college education. As a result of deconstructivism, abstract expressionism and concept art movements, artists have been forced to create art out of limitation, writing confusing artist statements about their work. The devaluing of representational art led to numerous colleges and universities to keep professors raised on concept art. Therefore college art education is limited to knowledge of its instructors. It’s often enough to look at their art to understand what you’ll be learning in class. If your aim is to study classical painting techniques in such universities, you’ll see lots of resistance and little instruction in this area as the main goal of college art education in studio painting is to work on your concept in art as opposed to growing your skill, vision, and business mindset. A student who decides to learn classical oil painting techniques often faces confusing opinions that don’t lead to constructive criticism because there is no standard left in art to aspire to. There are no rules or apprenticeships available to follow the footsteps of the established master painter as it used to be for centuries before the modernism. If a student aims to study realism, he is often a loner who receives no business or artistic tools necessary to make it in the art world after graduation. While we can see a rise in the classical training ateliers today, the art world is still largely dominated by abstract and conceptual art that you find in the educational system at college level.
As an antidote to this established system we see a revival and surge of realism in painting and education now. Atelier schools, artists’ studios and some universities have been popping up all around the country in the past decade. Such spaces include the Grand Central Academy of Art in New York, Anthony Ryder’s school in Santa Fe (www.theryderstudio.com ), and Nelson Shanks’ school Studio Incamminati in Philadelphia. (www.studioincamminati.org), etc. Many realist artists teach their oil painting techniques both online and in studio.
I must say that not every abstract is bad, just like not every conceptual piece is boring, or realist painting is great. My point is that artists should have a choice in their college education as opposed to ‘fitting in’ in the environment that doesn’t allow for personal growth in the direction the artist aspires to go to.
Because art conforms to no previously established rules and standards in art education we find it very hard to determine and value art today. To read any modern or contemporary artwork we have to look at artist’s mission, background and upbringing besides the visual element itself, which we call ART. Branding is often more important than art.
This contemporary portrait painting by Roos van der Vliet from the Netherlands is a wonderful example of great personal vision coupled with amazing acrylic painting technique. By looking at her paintings of women we ask questions about identity and alienation that we often feel being in a crowd of people, yet standing alone.
Major art patrons a century ago:
The Frick collection
Andrew W. Mellon collection
The Phillips collection in the U.S.
The Tretykov gallery collection in Moscow, Russia and so on.
Art players and influencers today:
Charles Saatchi & Larry Gagosian as well as other top art dealers
contemporary art museum top curators
Art investment firms and houses such as Sotheby’s.
Loot at MEI/Moses Fine Art Index explains the appreciation of art as a financial investment.
In this article you can read about art influencers:
Nicole_Finger_Gossamer_24x36_oil-hooked on art podcast
5 Artistic Elements that make great art
Here I’d like to talk about 5 major artistic elements that contribute to creation of great art. A lot of people consider art being great based on just two factors – the realistically painted tiny details and the overall brightness of a picture (paint). I’d like to shatter this myth by explaining that both of these factors are not sufficient to make quality art. It’s very easy to create paintings with bright pigments coming out of the tube. What’s much harder to achieve is color mixing of muted colors that create harmony. The same goes for details. Details are just details, if a painting doesn’t have a story behind it, or composition is weak, or it simply looks too decorative, it’s not great art.
MARCO GRASSI HOFA gallery at art wynwood miami, 2023
Looking at contemporary art we can either get carried away by the artist’s technical mastery or by the unprecedented innovation. It doesn’t mean that traditionally executed painting is not innovative, innovation is always there in a new way of seeing things. Most importantly, we find something in a painting that resonates deep within us and enhances our lives whether it’s abstract or realist art.
The most important artistic elements that contribute to creation of great painting and 3-D art are personal vision, emotion, innovation, use of color and design as well as the technical ability to communicate the feeling.
A great example of contemporary art painting that combines vision, innovation and great skill is the art of Cesar Santos |https://www.santocesar.com/ | YouTube Santos is a contemporary Cuban-American artist who has painted a series of paintings titled Syncretism. This famous contemporary artist combines various, often opposing artistic tendencies in a pleasing balance. Cesar Santos’s realistic paintings integrate oil paint, charcoal and crayons, and portraits feature common people that become removed from their usual surroundings and placed in oil paintings with new space for them to live in. The artist’s amazing skill in classical painting helps him create powerful art that looks fresh and modern.
Copyright Cesar Santos, Magdalenes niece, oil on linenCesar Santos, James, 36×28″ oil and crayon
Ali Cavanaugh paints her four children as watercolor portrait abstractions. Her original watercolor paintings have the feeling of spontaneity and freedom, yet the faces remain anatomically correct and alive. The artist paints on kaolin clay boards look like frescoes displayed without glass.
#1 Story & Emotion
Art is not created in vacuum. Artists absorb, filter through and reflect on personal experiences. They challenge our views, question values and bring beauty and emotional peace into our world. Story and feelings in the painting define the artist’s voice or style.
Copyright Sean Mahan, Lost and Found, graphite/acrylic on wood
Sean Mahan is a figurative artist who paints a “sense of wonder about innate human sweetness.” The artist creates images of girls and boys busy with mundane tasks yet removed-from-this-world-expressions that produce a feeling of contradiction. Mahan paints in acrylic and graphite on wood to produce his contemporary art paintings.
Art as personal expression
We can look at art as personal expression. A lot of artists can’t articulate verbally why they paint because it comes from within and shows what we experience inside us. We paint emotions in visual symbols. If we are bitter, art shows that. If we are loving, art expresses it. A vast majority of art is created as means of personal expression today unlike the classical art.
Artist’s aesthetic plays a big part in a painting style. For classical artists beauty is the highest aim in any subject we paint idealizing the figure, which is the opposite to aesthetic of so many modern and contemporary artists. Ugliness finds its home in art just as beauty once did. (Look at Willem de Kooning’s paintings of women vs. William-Adolphe Bouguereau’ art).
This is one of the first artists I’ve discovered almost two decades ago. His unique artistic voice has captivated me ever since. The Canadian artist, Rob created amazing colored pencil drawings of illusion and magic realism art. I’m very saddened to write that Rob committed a suicide in late 2017.
Copyright: Rob Gonsalves, Star Dust
Rob Gonsalves | www.facebook.com/RobGonsalves.Official
Copyright Rob Gonsalves, The Arboreal Office
Christian Schloe | www.facebook.com/ChristianSchloeDigitalArt
Copyright Christian SchloeCopyright Christian Schloe
This artist creates soulful digital artwork so sincere that it feels just as powerful as a real painting. His sense of color and design helps articulate powerful emotions of love, contemplation, curiosity and melancholy.
Art as ideology
A lot of art has been created to celebrate the country’s ideology and order. For instance, the Soviet Union art of the 50-s can be easily called propaganda art, but it also served a higher purpose lifting people’s morale to work for better good. The country took great care of its artists by giving them free studios, organized big exhibitions, commissioning and paying for work. The downside was the limitation on the subject of painting.
The Soviet art
I took these pictures back in 2015 during a large-scale exhibition happening near the Kremlin. An extensive review of the Soviet art created in the 50s-70s shows people at work building a new era of prosperity for the people.
We can also look at art that’s created as a rebellion against its government and social order. Chinese contemporary artist Ai Weiwei often criticizes his government. The U.S. is also so divided politically that these feelings of division branch out to art. We can find paintings of both Hillary and Trump at art fairs, galleries and exhibitions.
Art can also become more sarcastic as we see in this painting of Trump and Putin by Tony Pro https://www.tonypro-fineart.com/dataviewer.asp
Copyright Tony Pro, Donald Trump, oil on linen, 16 x 12″Tony Pro, Vladimir PutinMartín Mancera, Putin, mixed media,78in galeria casa cuadrada art wynwood 2023
Art as social commentary
Some artists like to leave social commentary and to reflect our culture back at us. Famous modern art artist Andy Warhol commemorated consumption in his famous paintings. Contemporary artist Alex Gross paints images of people with the message of antisocial networking, media control and online self-absorption. He often incorporates worldwide brands, pop culture and cliché symbols into his paintings. www.alexgross.com
Alex Gross, Zeitgeist Oil on Canvas 37.5 x 60.5 2015
#2 Artistic vision and Technical Innovation
Artistic vision is the most important element in contemporary art and is the hardest to develop, producing consistent paintings and 3-D art.
The innovation takes different forms:
Unique vision often leads to innovation in the depiction of a form.
Unique vision pushes artists to explore the surfaces and materials to create contemporary art.
Unique approach is present in the narrative figurative painting.
Unique vision channels the artist in art installations designed to create personal experiences. Check out the infinity rooms by Japanese artist Kusama, feminist art by Judy Chicago, and numerous video installations or immersive experiences like by Studio Drift.
Exploring contemporary painting we must notice figurative paintings of African-American artist Kehinde Wiley. His paintings are steeped in European art history and portraiture. They also reveal his sense of color and design. The artist often presents ordinary-dressed African-American men and women as aristocracy in his vibrant oil paintings, removing the figures from expected environment of the streets and placing them into a culture of high art. His most recent project is the unveiled official portrait of Mr. Obama for the Smithsonian.
martin r. herbst, hidden treasures at art fair 2018
Carole Feuerman
Carole Feuerman, Survival of Serena, hyper-realism sculpture on view at Art Basel Miami 2017.
Carole Feuerman is a contemporary hyperrealist sculptor who creates indoor and outdoor sculptures that symbolize strength and balance. In her studio in New York, she makes casts from real people, then paints over them and adds Swarowski crystal beads, hair and eyelashes.
Another contemporary artist who creates 3-D art is Rogan Brown. His wall art pieces present us with intricate designs and delicate paper cuts reminiscent of natural organic growth we could observe under a microscope. There is a great sense of poetry in his paper sculptures that evoke feelings of death and rebirth. We want to get lost in these dreamlike multilayered forms.
Strong contemporary art features great abstract design captured in shapes, colors, and diagonals, which create visual movement on canvas. As viewers we often don’t pay attention to painting’s design, captivated by other elements like details, color or facial expression, but the creative composition is a cornerstone to all great art. Movement lets us travel across canvas and leads us to the center of interest in contemporary art. Movement can be achieved in many ways that include placing often repetitive elements that create rhythm (Magritte, van Gogh) or atmospheric effects (Turner).
Contemporary Russian artist Serge Marshennikov is one of the best figurative artists working today. His sense of movement, color, and anatomic accuracy shines in paintings of semi-nude women. The models are intentionally placed at diagonals, letting viewers travel across the form to never leave the canvas. The artist’s understanding of color harmonies and color temperature in skin tones and the surroundings is truly amazing. While Serge lives and works in St.Petersburg, he is represented by several art galleries in the U.S.
Copyright Serge Marshennikov| Work-in-progress where we can see the unpainted areas and how real the female figure looks resting on a pillow.Copyright Serge Marshennikov, Serenity, oil painting | This figurative painting is a masterful depiction of form, where legs, feet, body and arms are placed at diagonals to create movement.Copyright Serge Marshennikov | Amazing details of fabric and lace are juxtaposed against the nude figure to create this sense of gentleness and fragility young women have. Airy and colorful in white, this fabric has soft strokes that define texture, supporting the figure.
#4 Color
Sophisticated color mixing may be hard to understand for a beginner in art. Here I’d like to explain the difference between professional painting and not so much so.
Color harmony plays enormous visual significance in contemporary art just like it did in the masterworks. Representational artists spend years to learn how to mix colors and to design their color harmonies. Usually it involves learning how to mix the subdued colors that support the leading hue. A lot of contemporary art paintings have garish hues coming out straight from a tube. They are too bright, flat and unnatural-looking to any serious contemporary artist who paints from nature in realist tradition. The difference between professional artist painter and an amateur one lies in his understanding of paint, edges and light. By carefully controlling these three elements professional artists are able to create beautiful contemporary art.
One of the famous contemporary artists who has mastered the color is Ed Minoff. His seascapes give us a chance to feel the power of nature in beautiful, subtle color harmonies. Such understanding of light and atmosphere comes from numerous studies and direct observation. Painting from life is a must for every aspiring artist who is serious about learning the traditional oil painting techniques. Edward Minoff works and teaches art in New York.
Edward Minoff | www.edwardminoff.com
perpetual by ed minoff
#5 Painting Methods
Painterly strokes vs. Classicism
When we look at oil paintings, some appear hyperrealistic created with very smooth brushstrokes and others look loose with definite brushstrokes. This range of paint handling depends on artist’s personality and training. Both painterly and classical contemporary art can be equally good, if it’s painted with professionalism and from the heart. A lot of people don’t like the unblended brushstrokes, especially beginner painters, but this very type of painting is hard to achieve. Such loose brushstrokes look effortless to us, but this manner of painting actually carries years of experience learning to apply paint freely in just the right color and tone. Looking back at the art history Sargent and Zorn come to mind, employing loose, masterful brushstrokes to achieve freshness and realism in their paintings.
John Singer Sargent, Lady_Agnew
Classical painting technique shows no visible strokes. Van Eyck and David are great examples in art history. A complete blending of strokes comes with deliberate application of paint and brushing over it with a soft, clean brush after that. Also, painting with smooth brushstrokes often involves the glazing technique. These are multiple layers of paint applied very thinly to create an effect of light and luminosity. This oil painting technique involves lots of planning to foresee the end result painting in glazes (Vermeer, van Eyck).
Contemporary still life painter Jane Jones works in realist tradition, painting flowers in luminous glazes. These flowers glow with light painted on panels. Careful compositions show remarkable mastery in achieving visual balance. The chiaroscuro effect of light and dark captivates the viewer instantly. If you’d like to learn about the artist’s oil painting technique, check out Jane’s art book, DVDs and more!.
Copyright Jane Jones, Survivors, 68×43″ oil painting
Painterly application of paint is a strong skill that’s often taken for granted. Being able to mix and apply paint in a single correct stroke involves lots of practice. We can explore painterly contemporary figurative art by Jeremy Mann. His personality is channeled through his aggressive and energetic strokes depicting streets and interiors, while the gentle hues in figurative painting capture his softer side. In his art, we can observe a thorough understanding of color impact and how it reverberates across the entire canvas.
Copyright Jeremy Mann, Nadezda, oil paintingCopyright Jeremy Mann, Abandoned dream, oil painting
Contemporary painting often involves a mix of painting techniques that we can see in this artwork by Katherine Stone | www.katestoneart.com. Thin glazes create an effect of transparency and depth in the hair and background, while a more painterly strokes make textures in a doll and a girl’s face.
Copyright Kate Stone, A Certain Slant of Light, oil painting
Stylized art
An abbreviation of traditional methods and personal exploration leads to stylized art. When we look back at modern art, Gustav Klimpt and Mucha take prominent place in the world of art history. Their combination of materials is innovative for sure, but more importantly these artists’ work is based on a thorough understanding of human form. Their stylization doesn’t come from limitation (which is so common in contemporary painting), rather from their desire to find a unique voice in art that’s based on solid understanding of anatomy, color and composition. Therefore, their art is simply inspiring.
Alphonse Mucha (1860-1939), The precious stones: topaz, ruby, amethyst, emerald
One of the examples in contemporary art painting stylization includes painting by Marco Grassi.
A Canadian artist, Sarah Joncas stylizes her figures and patterns to create art in paint. Inspired by animation processes and techniques, her art carries this simplification of shapes, color and tones, supported by exquisitely balanced compositions. Beautiful female figures and portraits are often juxtaposed against city views, nature or flowers to set the mood.
Copyright Sarah Joncas, fever Break,18×24″, oil and acrylic on panel
Abstract art vs. Realism
Traditional Realism involves a faithful depiction of light on a form studied from direct observation and Nature. But whenever we step away from it, other art forms take place.
Abstract art is about strong design and color management. We can learn to appreciate contemporary painting by learning to see textures/impasto techniques that create visual movement on canvas. Famous modern abstract artists include Jackson Pollock who pushed the boundaries of concept painting in vigorous strokes and textures. His abstract expressionism art shows understanding of color and design. Splattered paint on large canvases creates rhythm and energy.
Jackson Pollock, Blue Poles
Contemporary abstract painting by Joanne Miller Rafferty is beautiful, mature, and experimental in its nature. Abstract landscapes are spontaneous yet refined juxtapositions of color, gold leaf, and shimmery texture. They are lifescapes with the artist’s distinctive way of observation. Her acrylic paintings are collage pieces that begin at the horizon line and end at the personal experiences of viewers gazing at Joanne’s art. The artist has experimented with the use of leafing, gold leaf, and silver, copper, and variegated varieties. Using a mixture of acrylic color combinations on top of leafing creates new effects that Joanne has discovered in her creative processes. Her painting techniques are included in the Art Lessons book.
Copyright Joanne Miller Rafferty, Timeless #2, 60×40
Realism and Hyperrealism
christian alexander albarracin-paper sculpture-blink group gallery-art wynwood
I hope that this roundup of famous contemporary artists and their art gives you some ideas and direction how you can explore and grow your appreciation of contemporary art by paying attention to your emotions, story, composition, color and design in art. Contemporary art serves the humanity as a record of our history. It also creates a lasting memory of feelings and events, and allows us to communicate raw emotion.
Action step: Next time you look at contemporary art, ask yourself what three unique qualities you see in art. Is it a story, design, color, or simply a strong feeling that moves you? Analyze what draws you in and why.
In this article, I’d like to introduce you to some of my favorite 18th and 19th- century Russian portrait artists and paintings that I fell in love with when I was a child. These realistic portrait paintings made a considerable influence on my aesthetic and desire to learn the traditional oil painting techniques. Some of these paintings represent the collision of classical ideals with Romanticism that is evident in artists’ choice of subject and color schemes.
Art became a source of inspiration early in my life. Many oil paintings were printed in public school textbooks. Russian art occupied the last few pages in those textbooks that were printed in color and on thick paper unlike the rest of the material in the 1980s Soviet Union. Besides one art class I had in the elementary school, we didn't have art education in public school system back then. So those color reproductions and my parents' art book collection became my first introduction to classical Russian art. Some Russian children could study the arts in a separate art school with classes held in late afternoons in order to get a certificate. Only having that certificate of completion allowed the children to apply to the Academy in either Moscow or St. Petersburg to study art at the college level.
Russian Portrait Painting in late 19th-century
Ilya Repin (1844-1930)
Ilya Repin is one of the most famous Russian artists of his generation. Excellent figurative painter, he is one of my favorites for his moral views and social purpose he channeled through his art. His portraits depict a variety of characters that all share the enormous artistic power and thoughtfulness.
Ilya Repin, Portrait of Garshin, 35×27,” 1884, the Metropolitan Museum of Art
This portrait is one of several that Repin made of Russian artists and intellectuals following his return from his graduate study in France. The artist begged the Academy to let him return home, so he could work on the national themes in his painting.
Here is an excerpt from the Met about this painting. "Russian author Vsevolod Garshin specialized in short stories expressing his pacifist beliefs, love of beauty, and aversion to evil. In the early 1880s he became friends with Repin, a leading progressive painter who shared his concern for contemporary political and social problems. Four years after it was created, Garshin, scarred by the suicides of his father and brother and his own mental illness, threw himself down a stairwell and died." http://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/437442 )
Vladimir Borovikovsky (1757-1826)
Vladimir Borovikovsky, Portrait of Maria Lopukhina, 1797, 72×53 cm, State Tretyakov gallery, Moscow
Created at the end of the 18th century, this painting reflects the sentiment of the epoch where a man is part of nature. The artist fuses the model with a natural, but decorative landscape behind her where Russian landscape becomes more prominent than it used to be shown in Russian painting. This oil painting has a thorough balance of color. The blues of tiny cornflowers in the background are reflected in her beautiful blue sash, and the gold of the rye mingles with her jewelry and the golden sash accents. The color of a dull pink shawl wrapping around her figure is similar to the quiet roses blooming by her side. Her white gown finds similar tones with a couple of trees, repeating the diagonal of the figure.
Otherwise standard, diagonal three-quarter view of the woman depicts the beauty of a young Princess Lopukhina (1779-1803) who belonged to the Russian royal family of Tolstoy and died of tuberculosis in her early twenties. Her masterfully painted face shows beautiful restraint. Soft transitions between warm and cool tones, light pinks on the cheeks, greenish shadows, the riveting depth of the eyes, and gentle, rosy colors of the mouth – everything breathes with life. I love this portrait for its quietness, elegant confidence and a masterful balance of colors and shapes.
Borovikovsky created numerous portraits after his work in the military and graduation from the Academy in St. Petersburg. He found fame among the imperial court including Catherine II.
Karl Briullov (1799-1852)
Karl Briullov, The Last Day of Pompeii, 183 x 256 inches, 1830-33
Karl Briullov was the last great classical portraitist in the 19th-century Russia. Classically trained at the Academy in St. Petersburg, the artist was influenced by the classical ideals of Rome. Painter of royalty, Briullov had a fantastic skill level that he showed off in his most famous historical artwork titled “The last day of Pompeii, 1830-33” that brought him a widespread fame throughout Europe at that time. Realism and idealism, classical and neoclassical ideals collide on a huge canvas that depicts people in action, running for their lives during the eruption of Vesuvius.
Detail from “The last day of Pompeii”
After receiving the highest honors at the Academy, Karl Briullov won a golden medal to travel to Italy. Immersed in the classical tradition of painting, the artist had spent three years studying each figure for the Last day of Pompeii, completing numerous drawings. There is beautiful movement,detail and balance in every man, building and element in this painting.
Detail from “The last day of Pompeii”Karl Briullov, Portrait of the princess Elizabeth Saltykov, 1841, The State Russian Museum in Saint Petersburg.
Russian artist also produced many paintings of royalty and idealized Italian women caught at work, picking up grapes or washing clothes. Although those paintings are beautiful technically, they lack vision and reflection of some social changes in the country. Those changes got recorded soon thereafter by the Itinerants.
Nikolay Pimonenko (1862-1912)
Nikolay Pimonenko, Yule fortune telling, detail, 1888
This painting has such a bold use of color! Strong, single light source illuminates two peasant girls who read the fortune. In the old tradition, girls placed the melting wax into a cup with cold water to capture the “frozen” profile of a future husband. Here they look at the wall projection cast from the melted wax, trying to figure out who the man is. I love how spontaneous and fresh the brushwork is and how vivid colors harmonize together to depict this festive mood.
Ivan Kramskoy (1837-1887)
Ivan Kramskoy, a leader of the Itinerants movement, was one of the strongest portraitists in his generation of artists. Like other Russian artists in the movement, he believed in public duty and service to people through his art. Although he loved painting those themes, Kramskoy was a great portraitist. In 1869, he exhibited his portraits at the Academy for which he won a rank of the Academician.
One of his most famous paintings depicts a woman without a name. She looks composed and confident. Every texture is richly painted: the feathers, silk, fur, and velvet. Light yellow light envelops the distant buildings and describes the contours of the figure. Notice, how the artist puts the same color into the hat’s feather and her face to carefully harmonize the painting.
Ivan Kramskoy, Stranger, 1883, The State Tretyakov Gallery, MoscowKramskoy, the forester, 1874 (84×62 cm or 33×24,5 inches), The Tretyakov State Gallery, Moscow
The gaze of this peasant man is just riveting! Tragedy, disturbance and hidden force reside in his enigmatic eyes. The artist shows a specific type of a man who doesn’t like to settle or to tolerate the abuse of the forest by men. Or perhaps the painting is about poor villagers who are tired of their endless suffering and are getting ready to revolt against their wealthy masters.
Ivan Kramskoy portr. of artist’s daughter Sofia 1882
This portrait was painted in the end of the 19th century that marked the transition between the classical and modern art. The artist depicts his daughter in less controlled manner with loose strokes and colorful shadows that show the classical mastery of the anatomy and oil painting techniques. Her thoughtful face possesses no classical idealization, but expresses inner strength and depth of character that’s so hard to reach in realistic painting. The restrained position of her hands and mouth depicts a very young woman wrapped up in her thoughts. Trained by her father, Sofia became a professional artist as well. She received recognition for her artistic skills but had a very complicated life after the Soviet revolution.
Ivan Nikolaevich Kramskoy, Portrait of Ivan Shishkin
Ivan Shishkin was a great landscape painter who posed for this masterful portrait by Kramskoy. The background and the pose are so simple that all our attention goes to the face of the artist, which channels so much humanity and life that seems impossible to describe in paint.
Vasily Tropinin (1776-1857)
Vasily Tropinin came from a family of the serfs and received his freedom only at the age of 47. He often depicted scenes of ordinary peasant life that feature women doing hard or meticulous work. Those paintings have jovial mood, celebrating ordinary, domestic life.
Tropinin, the lace-maker, 1823 , The Tretyakov State Gallery, Moscow
I’m fond of this painting because it shows the old Russian tradition of lace-making, something I learned how to do in my teenage years, taking a class for a year. A pretty, peasant girl creates intricate lace pattern with numerous bobbins and thin threads. Captivated by her task, she quickly glances at the viewer only to return to her work. I love the gentleness captured in her face and a hint of a smile that’s subtle and kind.
In this video in the series you’ll learn about composition, color, emotion, painting techniques, use of lines, and other artistic elements artists used to produce their greatest works of art. This video will help you understand the qualities of great art, especially painting created before the 20th century.
You’ll find my video notes below!
Jacques-Louis David, madame Recamier, 5’9″x7’4″, 1800, the Louvre
The use of composition in art
All beauty is the result of fine proportions.
Leon Battista Alberti (1404-1472), architect
Greeks were one of the ancient civilizations to invent and use the mathematical proportion, linear perspective and the concept of divine proportion and scale in art and architecture. We can marvel at the divine beauty of the Parthenon and Pantheon. Because of a conversion to Christianity, these postulates were abandoned in the Middle Ages and completely forgotten for centuries. The Italian Renaissance revived the Greco-Roman principles in art and architecture several centuries later. The principles of the mathematical perspective were devised by Filippo Brunelleschi in Italy.
Man is the measure of all things becomes the mantra of the Renaissance artists in the 1400-1500s as they explore the concept of rational thought by creating art that’s three-dimensional, visually balanced, mathematically proportioned and color unified.
Composition becomes central to the creation of representational art.
The use of Pentagram in Art
Pentagram and decagon in a circle
In this diagram you see the fundamental principle of geometric division of space or the divine proportion. A symbol of unity, the circle holds a pentagon inside with the 5-pointed star of Pythagoras drawn inside it. Renaissance artists used this model to place their figures in a visually pleasing composition.
(Source: Rhythmic Form in Art by Irma Richter, Dover Publications)
Raphael, Ansidei Madonna, 1505-1507 | pentagon compositionThe school of Athens, Raphael, 1510, fresco in Stanza della Segnatura, Vatican, Rome | pentagon composition
This painting represents the exaltation of rational thought. The artist paints his contemporaries as models to represent ancient Greek philosophers, such as Plato and Aristotle standing right in the center of the composition. We see Leonardo as Plato, Bramante as Euclid, Raphael as Apelles and Michelangelo as Heraclitus. Raphael incorporates the architecture of the room by creating a balanced composition that proportionally relates to the interior. The fresco has 5 circles. The height of figures and their placement corresponds to the mathematical divisions seen in the picture.
Also see:
Poussin (French), “A dance to the music of time” (pentagon composition)
Besides using pentagons, artists create symmetrical and asymmetrical balance with triangular compositions, the golden section rule, and several other devices.
Masaccio (Italian), The Holy Trinity, fresco in Santa Maria Novella, Florence, 1428 | perfect linear perspective
In this painting the iconography is standard. The unusual part is its perfect linear perspective. It marks Masaccio as the first Renaissance painter who achieved visual realism of the figures because he showed a natural receding of figures in space.
Michelangelo (Italian), “The creation of Man,” Sistine Chapel, Vatican, Rome
In this famous painting by Michelangelo, the curving S-shape creates an equal movement and balance of shapes on both sides of the painting.
Also see:
Caravaggio (Italian), “The inspiration of St. Matthew” 1602. This painting features the S-shape design as well.
Rogier van der Weyden, “Descent from the cross”
We can see examples of triangular compositions in religious art where a cross divides the space in half or is placed at a diagonal. In this painting the artist arranges the figures in a way that mimic the shape of the cross. The diagonal of Christ repeats itself in Mary’s shape.
Jan van Eyck, “The Virgin and Child” | triangular composition
The triangular shape was a popular element to design a composition. It creates balance with a line falling from the apex of the pyramid diving the picture in half.
Claude Lorraine (French), “Embarkation of St. Ursula,” National Gallery, London | the golden section
Lorraine consciously designed his paintings following the rules of thirds or the “golden section,” which is widely used today by photographers and artists alike. The artist also “framed” his landscapes with trees placed on both sides of a painting to create a circular motion, so a viewer never leaves his picture. He was a master, creating a complete balance between the light and dark masses of trees, buildings, water and sky.
Also see:
“Landscape with Ascanius Shooting the Stag of Sylvia,” 1682.
Jan van Eyck, The Arnolfini wedding” 1434, National Gallery, London
The artist strikes an equal balance of shapes around the middle where we see the figures join their hands.
Emotion
Canova, Venus and Adonis, sculpture detail,museum’s copyright
Emotion is the strongest reason for artists to create art and for people to look at it or to own it. Art is a visual expression of our soul. We respond to a painting or a sculpture instantly using our feelings as opposed to logic, and that’s what makes us human. Meaningful art helps us connect with our inner life. It reminds us of particular memories. Art is not only a cultural and historical object, but also a remedy that speaks a universal language.
Artists have a vast emotional landscape to reach deep to convey a story in a meaningful way. It’s the feeling that draws us into the picture. Because we all have a unique set of experiences, we respond to the art in different ways. Some paintings leave us untouched, while others haunt us with their beauty, melancholy, joy or fear. Painting is a record of artist’s interior life, and his/her ability to see beauty in both the beautiful and the ugly.
Because feelings can’t be quantified in immediate dollars and cents unlike consumer goods, many don’t see value in art, think it’s useless, and try to cut funding for school art programs and art organizations. As a consumer driven society we are conditioned to ignore craftsmanship, uniqueness and beauty produced in singular products because a cheaper version of artistic creation is all around us for free on social media, TV, magazines, shop posters, book covers, pillow designs and so on. We see art but we don’t really study it.Only our encounter with the original painting has that immediate impact, raw emotion that enriches us as human beings.
Images:
Caravaggio, Head of Medusa, oil on canvas, 24×22”, Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence
(In Greek mythology, the terrible Medusa had the power to turn anyone who looked at her into stone: a power she retained after being killed by Perseus.)
Frans Hals, The Jolly Toper, 1628-30, oil on canvas, 32×26”, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
Sir Frederic Lord Leighton (1830-1896), Flaming June, 47” square, 1895, Puerto RicoVasnetzov, The song of joy and sorrow, oil on canvas, 133×250 cm, 1896, The Tretyakov gallery, MoscowVasily Perov, Trine (Troyka), oil on canvas, 1866
Also see:
Isaak Levitan, Over the Eternal Peace, 1894, oil on canvas, 150x206cm, the Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow
Ivan Shishkin, Winter, 1890, oil on canvas, 125 x 204 cm, Russian Museum, St. Petersburg
Ivan Shishkin, In the Wild North, 1890, oil on canvas, 161 x 118 cm, Museum of Russian Museum, Kyiv
Edvard Munch, The Scream, 1893, tempera and casein on cardboard, 36×29” (91x74cm), Oslo, Norway
In this section I’d like to mention the 19th century Romantic Movement. Romanticism grew as a rebellion against the static, cold ideals of the Greco-Roman art, religion and social order. Romantics were liberals who produced art that excited viewers with emotions, especially the fear and the power of wild, changing Nature as the source of the sublime. Romantics channeled these ideals via painterly movement and color. They wanted to reflect on real life, not some distant ideals. Artists celebrated freedom of creativity that found its support from new patronage of successful entrepreneurs and business class.
Anne-Louis Girodet-Trioson, The Funeral of Atala, 1808, oil on canvas, 5’6”x6’10” (1.67×2.10 m), the Louvre, ParisGerman Romantic, Caspar David Friedrich, the Polar Sea (The Wreck of Hope), 1824, oil on canvas, 38×50” Hamburg, Germany
Also see:
Spanish artist Goya (1746-1828), The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters, Los Caprichos, 1798, etching and aquatint, 8×6”, the Met, New York. Goya creates horror scenes with monsters and owls, depicts his nightmares that’s said to criticize Spanish society as corrupt and demented. The artist supported the French revolution being against the king of Spain. yet Goya was very popular as a court painter to Charles IV. Late Goya shows highly emotional art, already being a thought after portraitist, painting royalty as individuals with psychological insight into their personalities that lacked idealization on purpose.
Goya, The Family of Charles IV, oil on canvas, 9’2”x11’, Prado Museum, Madrid & the Third of May, 1808, oil on canvas, 8’9”x 13’4”, 1814-15. (In this painting the artist shows the execution of Madrid citizens dying for Liberty).
Swiss painter, Henry Fuseli (1741-1825) painted somewhat erotic, moody and supernatural pictures of dramatic Shakespearean scenes and dreams that ignited fear. In his painting the skill of drawing is given away in favor of emotions and imagination. He painted several variations of the painting The Nightmare, oil on canvas, 102x127cm, Detroit institute of arts
Henry Fuseli (1741-1825) The nightmare. 1790-91 version
Another Neo-Baroque French painter, Gericault (1791-1824) explored human extremes and violent action in his art. He painted people in action with the exuberance and energy of Baroque artists.
Mounted Officer of the Imperial Guard, 1812, oil on canvas, 9’7”x6’4”, the Louvre, Paris. He completed this artwork at just 21 years of age.
Other Romantic artists to check out are Eugene Delacroix (1798-1863) and J.M.W. Turner.
Color
Sir Frederic Leighton, Self-portrait, 1880
We can divide representational art into two opposing groups. One is dominated by the composition design think of Michelangelo. And the other is led by the use of color and light. While thoughtful design stands for rational thought in art, beautiful play of light and color evokes strong feelings.
Those of you who have tried oil painting know how hard it is to achieve color unity. It’s not only the skill of color mixing, but also the artistic vision and sensibility to color. In masterpieces we see hues that interact and support each other. The complexity of color comes with deliberate color mixing, dragging or glazing of the paint, overlaying, and letting one hue dominate and complement the rest. (Ingres, David, Simon Vouet). The tradition of color descends from Titian to Rubens, to Van Gogh and Picasso. Seurat developed his own scientific color system – pointillism that didn’t get traction among artists, however.
Jacques-Louis David (French), The death of Marat, 1793, neoclassicismMary Cassatt, Sleepy baby, pastels on paper, 1910, impressionism
The Impressionists redefined the use of color, not painting with black in the shadows. Unlike the majority of artists who worked in the studio, the impressionists painted outdoors, capturing the weather conditions at different times of the day. That’s why you see numerous paintings done of the same subject but in various lighting conditions. We can look at Claude Monet’s waterlilies and Edgar Degas’ dancers to understand how artists were interested in atmospheric and light perception of places and people – the impression, rather than the actual copying of details. The impressionists revolted against the Academism and its annual Salon painting competitions to organize their independent shows that exhibited unconventional, colorful art.
In Russia we see a rise of national landscape painting with artists like Shishkin and Kuindzhi who depicted vast, luscious and vivid landscapes of the countryside. Toulouse-Lautrec, Van Gogh and Gauguin become the post-impressionism artists who focus on the spiritual in painting channeling it through color and symbols.
Kuindzhi, birch grove, 1879Arkhip Kuindzhi (1842-1910), the moon night | Impressionism & realism
Use of shapes, lines and negative space
Michelangelo, drawing of Libyan Sibyl
Line is the most vital element in visual art. Contour lines describe form and the initial drawing design. Drawings exist as personal records of artist’s idea and thoughts, having unique handwriting, gesture and energy. Line drawings can be very expressive if an artist varies shape, thickness and completion of the line. Rembrandt’s drawings capture everyday activities in sketchy but confident, almost child-like lines. Drawings of Michelangelo are beautiful studies of models where the lines define the physical anatomy and monumentality of male figures frozen in action.
Da Vinci’s drawings perfectly describe the subject with soft, gentle lines reminiscent of the softness we see in his paintings. It’s amazing to see how Ingres describes figures in his hollow drawings of just contour lines with minimal shading.
Japanese printmakers, Hiroshige and Hokusai became the two masters of woodblock printing in the country. They exercised great influence onto the Impressionists with their approach to composition design and the simplification of shapes. Hiroshige’s artwork is very linear and creates simplified shapes and patterns with the lines of varied quality.
Hiroshige, “Travelers passing Mount Fuji” woodblock print, 1831, HonoluluAlphonse Mucha, The precious stones: Topaz, Ruby, Amethyst, Emerald, details, 1900, color lithograph, 26×11” each
The leading Art Nouveau designer and painter, Alphonse Mucha (1860-1939) used geometric shapes, mosaics, and diagonals to create beautiful lithographs of women as idyllic symbols. Czech artist gave birth to his unique “Style Mucha” with his posters of a famed actress Sarah Bernhardt that made him prominent in French Art Nouveau. His use of definitive, contour line is central to his illustrative style.
Austrian artist Gustav Klimt (1862-1918) employs lines, patterns and shapes to create a unique visual experience. His figures are made of patterns with contour and geometric lines defining form.
Gustav Klimt, Tree of Life, 1909
As spectators we often don’t pay attention to the artistic use of negative space. Negative space is simply the background you see behind an object. It often affects how we perceive what’s in front of us by carefully controlling the tone, color and shapes in the background space. Let’s look at one of Spanish realist artists – Cotan who uses the negative space to his advantage.
Juan Sanchez Cotan, Quince, Cabbage, Melon and Cucumber, 1602, oil on canvas, 27×33”, San Diego Museum of Art
Because the Spanish court and the Catholic church employed foreign painters like Titian in the 16th century Spain, native artists were not popular among the two major patrons, and therefore they were able to develop their still life painting that was nonexistent before the 1590s. Cotan (1561-1627) becomes a pioneer in still life painting. A deeply religious man, he painstakingly arranged simple objects at a curve, juxtaposing bright objects against the dark tones, where rich background reinforces the realism of foreground shapes.
Caravaggio wall in the Borghese gallery-veronica winters art blog
Similarly , Caravaggio used the dark background to bring his subjects forward. He defined and mastered chiaroscuro – the balance of light and dark in his paintings. So much so that when a viewer stands in a dark interior of a church he sees abstracted patterns of light and shade. When the light is turned on, the entire painting changes to a story we see in a design. His mastery of color, negative space and contrast play with our perception of reality. (David and Youth bitten by a lizard).
Texture, paint and brushwork quality
Jan van Eyck (Dutch), painting detail that shows glazing techniques with seamless brushwork.Caravaggio, St. John the Baptist. | This painting shows the effect of glazing where color (red) is built up in many layers of thin paint (glazing).
Our eyes travel across canvas to notice the unusual texture and brushwork, or purposefully to see none. Strokes of paint can describe the textures and shapes of fabric, skin and space. They can also generate an emotional response to the subject itself. The artistic ability to do it freely takes years of experimentation and practice, like we see in Sargent’s painting. Sargent’s art has spontaneous brushwork quality that’s actually deliberate and skilled. He was masterful at hitting the right ‘note’ in a single stroke, and when he was not, the artist wiped it off with a rag, and did it again. His paint strokes have relaxed elegance and fluidity.
John Singer Sargent, Lady AgnewMetz art museum-Sargent-veronica winters art blog
Classical oil painting techniques
Traditional methods involve several painting oil painting techniques. Here I’d like to mention glazing used by Ingres and David as well as the impasto oil painting technique perfected by Rembrandt. Glazing creates depth and sophistication in color by using thin, transparent layers of paint. The impasto technique creates texture in thick, opaque strokes. These two seemingly opposing methods are often combined together in a single work of art, like we see in the Rembrandt’s paintings that create the glow in his portraits. The Jewish bride.
Rembrandt, the Jewish bride, oil painting detail showing the impasto technique.
Impasto (to put in paste, Italian) is applied thickly on a canvas or panel with a brush or a palette knife that raises the paint surface and makes the strokes visible. Impasto creates textures in clothes, jewelry, and skin that looks like a suggestion of the fabric or skin rather than a direct representation of it. The relief-like surface makes the lights pop more to attract our attention to the focal point. Rembrandt, Velazquez, Titian and Goya used this technique.
Jan Van Eyck (Dutch, 1390-1441) was a fundamental figure in northern Europe, the first to perfect the oil painting technique. He had strong interest in optics and light effects to create painstakingly detailed realism. (Ghent Altarpiece, oil on panel, detail). In this kind of art you don’t see any brushwork to convey realism. The artist uses lots of glazes to build up the color.
A lot of artists use a combination of techniques that include glazing, impasto, scumbling and more that produced different visual effects to convey realism of texture and form.
Detail of a painted gown
Alexander Roslin: Marie Suzanne Giroust, 1734-1772, konstnär, gift med Alexander Roslin.
Action step:
Pick an artwork that you really like, and try to explain why you enjoy looking at it in terms of composition, color, and subject. Practice your understanding of paintings, and your art appreciation will grow exponentially! Have fun with it!
I hope you’ve enjoyed watching my video and discovered how story, composition, emotion and texture – all contribute to and influence on our perception of famous paintings. A great painting offers a lot more than a good composition, realism, or vibrant color. A great painting gives you an emotional experience, something poetic and spiritual that transcends time and place, and allows you to understand yourself and the world around you!
Coming up next: Video #2 Contemporary Painting
In my next video you’ll learn what to look for in contemporary art.
Rhythmic Form in Art by Irma Richter, Dover Publications
Wikipedia & tons of art history classes in college! 🙂
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In the first video in the series you’ll learn about some of the greatest works of art, art movements, ideas and artistic elements. This video will help you understand and appreciate the qualities of great art, especially painting created before the 20th century.
Video Notes:
Overview:
Art Movements 0:42
Art Patrons 1:49
Art Education & female artists 2:21
Why do artists create art? 3:26
Artistic Elements : Story & Subject
Story & Subject 4:29
Biblical Scenes 5:16
Historical & Mythological Painting 9:03
Formal Portraiture 14:42
Landscape art 20:33
Genre art & Dutch still life 23:13
Kramskoy, portrait of a stranger, 1883
Next video: Video #1 | Part 2
In my next video you’ll learn about major artistic elements that artists use to design their paintings. They include composition, emotion, color, and the use of shapes, space and some painting techniques.
Complete video series:
Video #1 Part 1 – Learn what makes a painting great – you’re here!
Video #1 Part 2 – Learn what makes a painting great, part 2
Art is not created in vacuum. It forms as a product of cultural, economic and emotional baggage of the artist. Salvador Dali’ inner world is vast and complex, and his surreal symbols are hints to unpacking his creative mind and soul. Every artist starts his journey in the beginning.
The Dali museum in St. Petersburg divides its art collection into several sections – his early paintings of anti-art, surrealism, nuclear mysticism, and op art pieces. Housed in a sunlit, modern building, the show introduces us to Salvador Dali’ mind with his early paintings he completes at the 13 years of age. Early Dali art may shatter your perception of someone’s talent. It doesn’t look great. Dali early paintings show different styles and influences, mainly borrowing from the French impressionism and Fauvism movements. This is useful for artists to understand because we all create silly and unskillful art in the beginning.
Salvador Dali early art: his self-portrait and a portrait of his auntSalvador Dali, the basket of bread. | Here we can see that the artist masters the classical painting techniques that opens him up to the development of his own, surrealist art style and subject matter.
Salvador Dali art style evolution: from surrealism to symbolism to op art
Salvador Dali (1904-1989) is the most famous surrealist artist. His surreal paintings were my major influence in the past. I was fascinated with his skillful ability to express his psyche visually, painting the melting life inside him that went far beyond his dream state. With a remarkable skill, he renders tiny details on small panels and huge canvases alike. In his surreal art, Dali elongates the natural forms and de-personifies people with sightless, stretched or egg-like faces. He scatters the symbols throughout his paintings of complex stories and turns the rational world upside down in his vivid, barren landscapes.
Dali museum, Figueres, Spain, one of his original surreal jewelry pieces
Why Dali left the surrealism movement
Deeply influenced by Sigmund Freud’s work “The Interpretation of Dreams,” Spanish artist explores the irrational and his dreams in the beginning of his career. Horrified by the rootlessness of the World War I, the surrealists rejected the rational mind and explored the irrational one instead. Although Dali is the most famous surrealist artist in the group, not many of us know that he broke away from the surrealist movement due to irreconcilable differences steeped in social and political views. The museum in St.Pete explains that Dali didn’t like the surrealists’ ideas of commune living and sharing, and his desire for self-promotion and individuality led him to part with the movement in a decade after he first joined the group in 1929. The artist gets fascinated with the optical illusions in art, creating his double image paintings still challenging our perception of the rational and irrational.
Dali Nuclear Mysticism & Op Art
Dali becomes a notorious artist who redefines himself and his mission after leaving the surrealists and entering the times of abstraction and subjectivity. He brands himself as a classical artist who loves Renaissance and aims to infuse his art with spirituality and classical ideals, unlike the abstract painters of his generation. He comes up with a new term the “nuclear mysticism,” and begins to paint huge canvases filled with the universal subjects, religious and historical themes. Influenced by the advances in science and technology, Salvador Dali’s late works (1949-1989) transform the surrealism style into monumental optical illusions, historical symbolism and the reverence for the universal. Besides having a number of solo shows in Spain and America, in 1974 he opens up his own museum in Figueres, Spain to house his art.
“Slave market with the disappearing bust of Voltaire,” 1940 shows us two images. In this double painting we see a bust of Voltaire as the symbol of reason hiding within the two female figures in the slave market. Here Dali argues that we’re enslaved to rationality, while the artist tries to open up a different channel for our perception, painting the irrational dreams and the unconscious. Dali suggests that the rational mind can’t always lead us to the truth. What do you see?Dali, the portrait of Abraham Lincoln at the Dali art museum in St.Pete.In his late works, Dali paints optical illusions in art on a monumental scale. #1 the double image painting shows “Gala contemplating the Mediterranean sea which at twenty meters becomes the portrait of Abraham Lincoln.” Gala is a symbol of perfection and the Lincoln’s head with the crucifix give references to death and the fleeting nature of beauty. #2 “The discovery of America by Christopher Columbus” shows the vast discoveries of humanity as well as Dali as an explorer. He paints Columbus as a young man stepping out to a new world. #3 “The Hallucinogenic Toreador” depicts Venus 33 times. The goddess of love and beauty, the second figure hides a Toreador face within her body. The toreador represents masculinity, a boy represents and artist, and a dying bull shows death. The bust of Voltaire symbolizes reason, and at the top left we see Gala’s face again. This painting represents Desire and Death.
Dali symbolism in surrealism as an expression of his fears
Fear of women
Art is not created in a vacuum. It arises as an emotional product of cultural, economic and psychic world of the artist. Dali’s inner mind and heart is vast and complex, and his symbols become the hints to discovering and understanding the artist’s soul. Through his art, Salvador Dali reveals many of his fears. He often paints his sexual fear of women. Numerous surrealist paintings project the artist’s sexual anxieties in his self-portraits with soft, stretched heads and figures. He depicts women deformed, stretched or as the cut-outs during the surrealist period. He depicts his nanny as an old figure with a cut out body supported by the crutches. Women often turn their faces away from the viewer to conceal the artist’s emotions and insecurity towards the sex. It’s interesting to note that in his late works women become Venuses, saints and symbols of the female beauty for the artist.
Dali horse sculpture at The Museo Soumaya in Mexico City
Fear of his father
In his surrealism paintings, Salvador Dali often explores the authoritarian rule of his father, depicting his father faceless and indifferent. He reveals his intense relationship with his short-tempered father in many surreal paintings. For example, he paints small, father-and-son figures in art representing his former closeness with the parent. These small and distant figures give a feeling of warm memories the artist longs for. These surrealist landscapes often have the airless, orange-yellow glow that contrast the dark blue sky sky and the mountains.
“Archaeological reminiscence of Millet’s Angelus” is an important surrealist painting for Dali. Inspired by the Millet painting, Dali saw this artwork (right) as a reproduction during his childhood and its figures haunted the artist for life. Dali paints his version of Angelus (left) depicting two primordial people – male and female. We also see Dali twice in this painting as a boy with his father in the center and with his nanny at the bottom of the figure. The primordial couple symbolizes human relationship and destruction, showing the deforming, anguished figures set in a melancholic, colorful landscape. His painting projects an intense feeling of loneliness, loss, grief, longing and inevitability.
Moreover, Dali shares his family’s tragedy in his surreal paintings. The artist had a brother. Also named Salvador, he died as a toddler less than a year before Dali’s birth. This family tragedy was deeply embedded within his psychic and affected his perception of himself for good.
Dali dead brother
Dali other symbols & meaning
Dali’s art is full of symbols, and some of them are explored in the museum. They include:
Dali crutches meaning: During the surrealist period, Dali paints extremely elongated figures supported by the crutches. The crutches represent his fear of impotence, death. In his paintings, rotting, limping bodies suggest the horrors of wars.
Dali surrealism paintings at the art museum in St. Pete.
Dali melting clocks and The Persistence of Time meaning: melting clocks represents the fluidity of time. The “Persistence of memory” is influenced by the discovery of the atomic energy and the sub-atomic world. Dali breaks the word into rational sub elements where Time stops limiting us. The image of the melting clock came to the artist after seeing a piece of cheese melting under the sun. Dali saw time as a fluid and relative thing, and his melting clocks represent the passing of time and the relativity of our perception of it.
While I don’t have the image of the Persistence of Memory,1931 located at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, I can show you some variations on the theme I found in other art museums.
Dali museum in Figueres, Spain | One of Dali’ original jewelry pieces shown at the Spanish museumDali melting clocks sculpture shown at The Museo Soumaya in Mexico CityDali melting clocks sculpture, The Museo Soumaya, Mexico City, Mexico
Dali Elephants symbolism: Elephants are often associated with strength and wisdom, but Dali also saw them as symbols of the unconscious mind.
Dali museum, Figueres, Spain | Dali elephant and melting clocks jewelry
Dali Lobster symbolism: Lobsters are another symbol of the unconscious mind, and they are also associated with sexuality and transformation.
Dali Ants meaning: Ants are often seen as a symbol of industry and cooperation, but Dali also saw them as symbols of death and decay and decomposing prey.
Dali Burning giraffes meaning: Burning giraffes are a symbol of Dali’s own personal fears and insecurities. They are also a symbol of the fragility of life and the inevitability of death.
Dali Piano symbolism: Piano represents a fond memory of summer concerts at the beach, and a scary memory of books his father placed on the piano that had the illustrations of the sexually transmitted diseases.
Dali Roses symbolism: roses represent female beauty and sexuality for the artist.
Dali Venus meaning: Venus represents female love and beauty.
Dali Melting, broken eggs symbolism: these are symbols of memories in the mother’s womb.
Dali Keys meaning: keys represent unlocking the unconscious mind.
Dali sculpture at Miami art context 2023
Gala: artist’s muse, wife & promoter
Salvador Dali was a tireless self-promoter. Together with his Russian-born wife and manager – Gala (Elena Ivanovna Diakonova) they worked on connections, marketing, and new job opportunities for the artist. Dali might not have achieved his fame during his lifetime, if he and his wife didn’t pursue those relationships and connections. The couple lived between the U.S. and Europe, while Dali not only painted and exhibited his work in galleries, but also worked on his jewelry, opera sets and costume design. He also contributed to the art scene with his book writing, numerous illustrations, holograms production, and the creation of the dream-like sequences for the Hitchcock’s film Spellbound.
While exploring the art museum, it’s interesting to see how close Dali and Gala were, how she influenced the artist, and how strong their partnership was despite their open marriage arrangement. Considerably older and not a striking beauty, Gala captured Dali’s heart at once when they first met in 1929. She had an affair with Dali and later became his life-long muse. Gala divorced her husband, French poet and one of the founders of the surrealists, Paul Eluard to marry Dali.
We can recognize Gala’s face in many of his paintings where she models for the artist both clothed and nude. Gala becomes a symbol of the female perfection for the artist. In the Dali museum at St. Pete you see Gala in a double painting of “Lincoln” and as virgin Mary in “Columbus.”
Dali dies in 1989 after receiving the international acclaim with his retrospective shows in Germany, Spain, U.S.A, Holland, England, and Japan. Every artist begins his journey in the begging but not every artist reaches the end with fame. As artists, we go through many stages and only the persistent and social ones seem to win. Dali succeeds threefold.
Late works: “The Ecumenical Council” shows Dali in the left corner and Gala as St.Helena. She connects the artist with the spiritual world above. Influenced by Velasquez, the artist paints on a huge scale with the monumental themes of science, history and religion.
The Dali museum houses a very good, once private art collection of A. Reynolds and Eleanor Morse. They started their Dali collection in 1943. In 1982 the Dali museum in St. Pete was inaugurated. The art collectors ran out of wall space and decided to build this museum and gift their art collection to the public. What’s amazing to see here is how many paintings they acquired from one artist that included both huge canvases and tiny pieces, all of which hung in their house in Cleveland.
I recommend to sign up for the virtual tour of one of the Dali’s paintings on the 3d floor (free with admission). It’s really fun. Also, download the museum’s app that guides you through the collection. Check out their special events schedule and evenings at the museum. Official websites: St.Petersburg http://thedali.org/ and Spain https://www.salvador-dali.org/
Frida Kahlo endured 34 surgeries in her 47 years. She lived a life haunted by tragedy, painting her pain. Sometimes I ask myself what if she didn’t go through a horrific accident at 18, would she become the most famous female artist after all? Would she paint some other pain in her life? This museum show is small but well-presented. It summarizes Frida’s relationship with her art, her husband Diego Rivera, and her pain.
“The Broken column,” 1944
Every aspect of Frida’s life is set against her both physical and emotional pain. And lots of it. Surreal paintings and drawings focus on the breaking point in her life – the car-train accident. A broken metal handrail pierced through her pelvis that led Frida into a dark place of endless suffering, surgeries and miscarriages for many years to come. She documents her suffering on small canvases, often painting in bed.
After many surgeries, Frida spent a lot of her time in bed. She refused to eat food and became very weak. Frida was forced to eat food through a funnel to recover that she illustrates as torture in this painting.
Frida Kahlo symbolism
Despite the obvious lack of technical skills, Frida’s art is highly symbolic and powerful. It’s one of the reasons why most US museums keep showing her art in rotation. Similar to French surrealists, Frida explores the symbols of her dreams in art. Frida also saves herself from endless suffering by painting symbolic pictures that represent her thoughts. We often see her husband Diego Rivera, blood, fetuses, bed, and animals as symbols in her paintings.
For example, in this painting the artist documents the pain of her miscarriage with 6 symbols: the lifeless fetus, her pelvis, the snail pace of recovery, the fragile tulip, the medical machine, and some anatomical structure, illustrating the nature of her problem.
In the art show we can also study a number of pages taken from her childhood journal. Tight sentences fill the pages with stories and doodles, in which we can see Frida’s desire to travel across time and space creatively.
Below you see a sketch of her accident.
Frida’s art is her self-portraits. By comparing her paintings to the black-and-white pictures, I think she paints herself too masculine with a hint for dark mustache and her signature arching eyebrow that looks like a wing. While nude or semi-nude artist appears serious, or even cries in her self-portraits, Frida’s photographs show the artist dressed colorfully, and even with some noticeable flare. She wears long skirts, shawls, jewelry, and the real flowers put in her hair that all point at her girly, untouched by the inner sorrow cheerful personality.
The electric train with two cars approached the bus slowly. It hit the bus in the middle. Slowly the train pushed the bus. The bus had a strange elasticity. It bent more and more, but for a time it did not break. It was a bus with long benches on either side. I remember at one moment my knees touch the knees of the person sitting opposite me. I was sitting next to Frida. When the bus reached it maximal flexibility it burst into a thousand pieces, and the train kept moving. It ran over many people. I remained under the train. Not Frida. But among the iron rods of the train, the handrail broke and went through Frida from one side to the other at the level of the pelvis. When I was able to stand up, I got out from under the train. I had no lesions, only contusions. Naturally the first thing I did was to look for Frida. Something strange had happened. Frida was totally nude. The collision had unfastened her clothes. Someone in the bus, probably a house painter, had been carrying a packet of powdered gold. This package broke, and the gold fell all over the bleeding body of Frida. When people saw her they cried, “La bailarina, la bailarina! With the gold on her red, bloody body they thought she was a dancer. -The testimony of Alejandro Gómez Arias“A few small nips,” 1935.” When Diego had slept with her younger sister, Frida began to have her own affairs. Inspired or perhaps traumatized by the newspaper’s crime report, the artist paints a horrific crime scene showing blood and stabbing of a woman. The blood spills on the frame as well. The museum interprets the artwork’s symbolism as stabbing infidelities of Diego.
We tend to idealize people once they pass away, give them heroic qualities and subdue their pitfalls. In this show I wished to see the subtle layers of her personality that I couldn’t pick up from her art. Did she feel like a victim who suffered and longed for pity from people around her? Or did she consider herself a hero who overcame her physical and emotional struggles? Did she have any close friends who supported her artistic purpose besides Diego? Why did she stay with Rivera despite his countless infidelities? Was it love or weakness? In her art and photographs we see Diego almost too often, and not enough of her surroundings or people who may have helped her heal.
The art show is up at the Dali museum in St.Pete till mid. April. I recommend downloading the museum’s app that guides you through the exhibition. http://thedali.org/
Copyright: All images were taken at the art show at the Dali museum in St.Pete in 2017.
Realism is coming back! Lost to decades of abstract art, contemporary figurative painting is experiencing a rebirth in a variety of styles. Contemporary figurative artists are becoming more popular among the gallerists and collectors alike, and with that the female artists rise and take part in more art shows than ever. Let’s look at the roundup of some female painters who continue the tradition of classical painting with a twist.
Every artist is a unique voice. Art is a record of human emotions, experiences and history. In this interview every female painter answers a single question. What they want others to see in their art. Let’s look at their answers!
Please note that all artwork is copyrighted by the artists mentioned in this post. Contact them directly. You will find this article about famous contemporary women artists in the American Art Collector, March issue, 2018
Margo Selski
By using a safe and familiar composition, my goal is to lull the viewer into a false sense of comfort and familiarity, where they are drawn to images which, upon further viewing, become curious, uncomfortable and perhaps even dangerous.
Margo Selski, The Daughters of Atlantis: Passing the Torch, 2013, oil and Beeswax on Canvas, 40 × 30 in, RJD gallery
Margo Selski creates a fairy tale universe depicting her family secrets in the surreal paintings. These are tightly balanced, emotional riddles often starring her children dressed in elaborate clothing. While the narratives seem fantastical, they are autobiographical since every artist depicts parts of herself in art. Every painting shows duality that creates tension. Every painting is a world of fragile self-exploration and heightened emotions. There is a sense of passing time that flows through fantasy that becomes a hidden reality. Influenced by Flemish painting, the artist also plays with the medium, creating false craquelure where lines look like cracks in old paint.
I want people to see a real figure, in a moment of intimacy, surrounded by the abstracted beauty of the fabric.
Anne-Marie Kornachuk, oil painting
Canadian artist Anne-Marie Kornachuk paints women in swirling gowns. Colorful fabric shimmers around the figure to seduce us with visual beauty. Influenced by Baroque painting, the artist creates a dynamic flow between the silky fabric and dark background. Her female figures seem to be confined within the boundaries of canvas, yet they are free to jump, making beautiful patterns of light and dark.
What I want to happen between a viewer and my work is not really up to me. It is something personal between the two of them, it goes beyond me. I do tend to influence this moment of course by always trying to let my portraits stare directly at the viewer, by letting them tell a non verbal story, solely by their eyes. It can’t be heard but you can sense some of it by watching them closely. People often walk by art without really looking. I hope that my paintings almost force the viewer to stand still and look back.
Storytellers xvi, acrylic on canvas, 2016
Female artist from the Netherlands, Roos creates realistic portraits of women with soulful eyes who are also constricted by their own hair. The enigmatic gaze of every Storyteller acrylic painting almost forces us to stare back at the model. Just like in the Margo Selski’s paintings, we can sense polar duality in the images. It’s a mental struggle between the invisibility and popularity, the known and unknown, the outer appearance and inner world. Interested in representing the world realistically, Roos makes every effort to depict the soft flow of hair and the honesty in the model’s eyes as human as possible.
Kelsey Beckett is a talented artist-illustrator who stylizes the female form to reveal romantic fragility in her contemporary figurative painting. Influenced by Manga, her oil and acrylic paintings are beautiful expressions of color, form and composition.
Yuka Sakuma, natural mineral pigments, Japanese ink, acrylic paint on hemp paper
Yuka utilizes traditional materials like natural mineral pigments and Japanese ink to create paintings of women in Japanese style. To be more precise, these are artworks of beautiful, little girls that project innocence, playfulness and immaturity that usually gets lost with age. The artist creates a world of innocent childhood in her drawings where images of little girls often express emotional duality. Yuka is one of contemporary female painters who utilizes muted palette and flowing hair to express ethereal feelings.
https://www.instagram.com/sakuma.yuka/
Marina Dieul
I want others to see “joy” in my art. Joy of creating, joy of seeing beauty in little things, joy of inventing possible stories and meanings… It looks like people can feel it, I have an endless number of testimonies from collectors and followers saying that my art make them smile.
Marina Dieul was born in France but moved to Montreal, Canada almost two decades ago where she paints playful images of cats, mice and other animals. Her trompe l’oeil paintings express curiosity and amusement and we can’t help it but smile looking at paintings of cats chasing mice. Marina’s dramatically lit portrait paintings often depict children that give us a sense of wonder and innocence as well as show incredible artistic skill. The female artist won many prestigious awards with her figurative paintings. To learn more: www.marinadieul.com
Kei Meguro
Kei Meguro, pencil drawing and digital manipulation
Japanese female artist, Kei Meguro creates pencil drawings of women she calls ‘babes.’ A lot of them are drawn from famous models or celebrities but exemplify her unique style that’s influenced by traditional Japanese art. The simplification of form and a near absence of any color are balanced with incredible details in the eyes and hair. The artist’s anatomical accuracy as well as fragility of the faces mesmerizes viewers. Unlike other contemporary female artists painters, Kei processes her drawings in Photoshop, cleaning up the smudges and adding layers of textures and color.
The artist graduated from the School of Visual Arts in New York where she developed her illustrative style and now works for major fashion and design companies.
My paintings are imagined blends of beauty and nature. These paintings are often intentionally idealized representations of emotional impressions from my dreams – entwined with elements of the earth, sky and water that surround my real world. I use symbols and my feminine viewpoint to tell a very loose, abstracted narrative. As in my dreams, my muses cannot see all things, are sometimes unable to speak and frequently appear to be floating.
Resemblance, oil, silver, arches paper mounted on panel
June Stratton’s art is ethereal. These are paintings of young women depicted in soft hues of blue and silver that resemble water. While not always anatomically correct, her beautiful figurative paintings project magic and fragility. These paintings are visual stories where figures melt into the background only to reappear in a new dimension. The silver-leafed fractions add specks of light to her images.
The girls/women I paint are fictitious characters. They are all a manifestation of this one imagined person. Through her, I’d like the viewers to feel her confidence, strength, and independence. But she is also fragile and vulnerable and has all the weaknesses we all have. I like to play with that juxtaposition and balance. Things are never black and white. There’s a whole array of greys in between, and I like to explore that complexity.
It Was You, oil, graphite, and ink on wood panel 24″x24″, 2014
Audrey Kawasaki’s figurative paintings are beautiful renderings of female form and landscape. Art-Nouveau-elegant, sensual curves flow one into another to depict innocence and eroticism, seductiveness and melancholy, passion and coolness. Her use of patterns and shapes is reminiscent of Gustav Klimt, while manga-influenced figures show beautiful renderings of women who live in a magical universe.
Mary Jane Ansell, study of a white hat, oil painting
Based in the UK, Mary Jane paints hyperrealist paintings of fashionable women. Modern and confident, the figures often feel lost in quiet self-reflection. Mary Jane uses the indirect oil painting technique as the artist layers paint to achieve gradual likeness, depth and detail. Her female characters have beautiful, glowing skin and realistically painted clothes.
I would like for viewers to get more interested in learning about aesthetics.
“Somnambulant Clown”, 32×48 inches, oil on canvas
Dolls, dolls, dolls! A beautiful obsession, a dream, a collision of past and present. The Washington D.C. based artist, Teresa Oaxaca creates large paintings that inherit the exuberance of the Baroque and Rococo periods. Her oil paintings become records of lush compositions with clowns, women, fabric, and dolls reminiscent of rich artistic history. Classically trained at the Florence Academy in Italy, the female artist mesmerizes us with her skillful drawings and vivid oil paintings that depict figures talking, crying or smiling at us. Dressed like a beautiful doll herself, Theresa embodies her paintings visually during the artist receptions and workshops held internationally.
What intrigues me the most is inner strength. My main goal is to make people – viewers of my works, feel and see their own inner strength.
Leaving toxic habits.” oil on canvas, 100/80cm 39,5/31,5 inch, 2015
Anna Wypych is a Polish figurative realism artist who paints women as allegories of human condition. Sensitive to her environment, she employs gentle color palette to convey her thoughts and psychology of people around her with undeniable sincerity. Sometimes she paints multiple figures in a single painting like in a photography that dance, jump or interact with each other. Semi-nude figures seem to be variations of one person that moves across space.
http://annawypych.pl/
Julie Heffernan
Julie Heffernan’s oil painting
Julie Heffernan’s imaginative painting is a mix of history, allegory, figurative and still life. The female artist has created numerous self-portraits. Presented as a tall, skinny, half-nude woman in the elaborate skirts or without them, she is surrounded by the forest, animals or shiny palace rooms. Her most recent artwork-magical landscapes addresses the climate change and how humanity slowly kills the planet that’s different in mission from her earlier paintings.
http://www.julieheffernan.net/statement
Katherine Stone
When I look at my favorite artists (or read my favorite authors, or listen to my favorite musicians), what appeals to me is that they have created a little universe with its own laws of aesthetics, its own language, its own habits and forms. The artists have plunged deeply into their vision. So I guess what I want people to see when they look at my art is a recognizable voice.
A Certain Slant of Light, 20×13″, oil on panel, 2015
Katherine Stone is a Canadian realist artist who paints children and still lifes. In her figurative paintings you won’t find excessive cuteness or sweetness usually captured in children. We rather see peaceful and subdued colors with a careful observation of light. A truly amazing craftsman, the artist often uses dramatic light (chiaroscuro), glazes and other traditional painting techniques to convey realism in art. Her still life paintings are often symbolic of life and death, and the irreversible passing of time.
In this painting we look at a portrait of Maddie, Katherine’s visual inspiration and model since her cousin’s daughter was a toddler. The artist’s literal inspiration for the painting comes from the Emily Dickinson poem. Soon we see how both the artist and the poet become sensitive to a short presence of daylight in winter.
When people look at my art, I’d like them to see beauty, to experience the work as something that enhances and adds to life’s experience.
Kerry Simmons, The Graduate, oil on panel, private collection
Kerry Simmons is one of few female artists painters who works and illustrates in colored pencil, pencil or oil paint, living and working in New York. Some of her drawings depict women as allegories, or the Barbie dolls that evoke a sense of melancholia, isolation and abandonment. They are intense self-portraits even when the physical model is different from the artist but somehow carries the resemblance to Kerry’s beautiful face. A very talented figurative painter, her paintings emanate quietness and mystery.
I’m hoping that when people look at my work they see beyond the technical part. Sometimes my portraits are “snapshots” of people I’ve met and who have inspired me and other times my work tells a deeper, personal story. I would like my work to leave an impression and make people question the reasons behind each drawing.
Tanja is an amazing talent. Self-taught, she has the ability to capture every person’s character from a unique vantage point. She often draws her family members and weaves her personal experiences into her colored pencil drawings. The artist makes work that encourages asking questions. You can marvel at her colored pencildrawings here: http://www.tanjagant.com/
I strive to serve as a reminder to the viewer of the beauty that exists in nature, which we often take for granted. Also, the piece should serve as a vehicle for the viewer to pause, observe and find solace in it.
Victoria Herrera, Frances Hope, 40 x 40 inches, oil on linen
Victoria Herrera is one of realist female artists who creates large-scale artwork to entice the viewer to pause, step in, and to self-reflect on the emotions and the meaning of life. Every new oil painting is a masterful fit in capturing gentle yet seductive petals with high-contrast design. The artist often incorporates semitransparent shapes and circles into the backgrounds as a record of her near death experience. Her oil paintings of flowers serve as transformative experiences to capture simplicity, nature and God.
With such wonderful roundup of contemporary female painters American art scene is destined to flourish and thrive. Stay tuned for more reviews of the contemporary figurative artists!
As Russian art is not studied in most art history classes in the U.S., I’d like to introduce you to the Peredvizhniki movement – a group of Russian realist painters that appeared in the mid 19th century to question the predominance and value of Russian classical painting. Peredvizhniki translate as the “movers” or “trailblazers”.
19th century is a fascinating time period in the art history of the Western Europe. Both the Church and the State lost their former influence in the patronage of the arts, which allowed for the birth and development of several new artistic movements in Europe. While Russian art remained quite reserved, developing new ideas slowly, it did break away from the cold Academic painting by embracing the depiction of common people and the countryside in Russia.
Peredvizhniki (the itinerants) organized as a group in 1863. Similar to the Impressionists in France, the group of male artists organized traveling shows exhibiting their new work. They painted the common folk like serfs in the countryside, Russian landscape, and portrait art. Their goal was simple. Russian artists wanted to bring the arts to its people. They refused to depict the Bible scenes and Greek mythology, and focused on painting the world around them instead. They often showed inequality between the rich and the poor, the noble men and the inferior women. They also brought to people’s attention a widespread abuse of children, who often engaged in hard, manual labor. As a result of such movement, Russian art preserved its traditional approach to painting in terms of the oil painting technique but considerably changed its themes.
19th-century Russian Genre Art
Here are some famous Russian genre paintings completed by the Peredvizhniki movement.
Ilya Repin (1844-1930)
Ilya Repin, They Did Not Expect Him, 1884-88, The State Tretyakov Gallery
Ilya Repin grew up in poverty and hardship, living among the military as his father served in the military. He showed passion for the art at 13 and began to take art classes at a studio of a local artist. Soon, he became so good that he received commissions to paint the icons, which gave him financial freedom to fulfill his dream. In 1863 the artist travels to St. Petersburg to study art at the Academy. Not admitted the same year, he works on his drawing to get admission the next year. Repin becomes quick at gathering medals and awards for his studies and achieves great success with his final Academic project. At the same time he completes a commissioned piece – “Barge haulers.” After his travels in France, he comes back home to paint with the Itinerants.
Repin, Barge haulers on the Volga river, 1870-1873
Repin believed in moral and social purpose in his art and painted peasant life like no other artist of his time. He depicted daily struggles and overwhelming poverty of workers and peasants who lived in stark contrast to well-dressed high society of the Imperial Russia. In this painting of Barge Haulers we see the never-ending bank of the Volga river where the blinding sun is as strong as the people below it.
Pavel Fedotov (1815-1852)
Pavel Fedotov was born in a large and poor family in Moscow and spent his childhood years among his neighbors. His parents put him into the cadet corps at eleven years of age where the artist showed himself as a brilliant student. He began to sketch the caricatures of his teachers and teacher aids on the pages of his notebooks. When he graduated as the ensign of the Finnish regiment, he was found of music and poetry, translated articles from German and sketched his friends. Being very poor, he couldn’t participate in his friends’ parties and continued to work on portraiture and caricature. After a considerable conviction of his friends, he left the service and entered the Academy to study art.
His art instructors doubted his talent because Fedotov ignored the academic principles of battle painting composing horses and soldiers, and spent his evenings painting genre scenes remembered from his childhood. The artist lived in modest conditions, sending part of his service pension to his family back home. However, his sense of humor never let him give up on himself and eventually his talent got noticed by a famous Russian fabulist Ivan Krylov, who wrote him a letter asking to give up the Academy and work on his genre painting.
Just knighted. Morning of the official who received his first cross, 1848, oil on canvas, 48x42cm, The State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow
Pavel Fedotov left the Art Academy, and in 1847 showed his first painting “Just knighted. Morning of the official who received his first cross.” The artist loughs at a proud clerk who is shown after his party, living in devastating poverty. The second painting “The Picky Bride” followed the same year to impress his former teachers from the Academy.
Pavel Fedotov, Matchmaking of a major, oil on canvas, 58 x 75 cm, 1848, The Tretyakov State Gallery, Moscow
The artist exhibited his masterpiece titled “The Matchmaking of a Major” in 1848 that prompted him an honor award of the Academician. He depicts a beautiful bride running out of the living room as soon as she saw her future groom appear in a doorway. Richly dressed, her mother catches the bride by her gown. This paining brought the artist fame and financial success. Fedotov wished to travel to England to study genre art, but his friends noticed a change in the artist in 1852. Soon, he was placed in the asylum where he died the same year.
In his short life, the artist left tremendous legacy in Russian art by opening a new direction in Russian genre painting. Most of his oil paintings, sketches and portraits can be seen at the State Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow today.
Vasily Perov (1834-1882)
Vasily Perov received his school education from a local deacon, who taught the boy math, language and the Bible. The boy showed great success in calligraphy and his teacher named him Perov (‘Pero’ sounds similar to a ‘feather’ in Russian). Perov’s parents didn’t allow their son to enter a local art school, but let him take some private art lessons. Thanks to one of his relatives, Perov enters the art school later in 1852 and studies there to receive awards. After his graduation, he spends two years in Paris but ‘unable to paint anything worthwhile’ in his words, he begs the Academy to let him come back home. (Best artists received scholarships to spend 1-2 years in Western Europe after their graduation at the Academy).
Vasily Persov, Easter rural procession, 1861
Besides masterful portraits, Perov paints great genre paintings that capture the reality of Russian life and its people. His art explores the disparity between the rich and the poor as well as the hypocrisy of the church clergy. Despite his fantastic abilities and successful exhibitions, the artist didn’t consider himself worthy of attention. He lived modestly and died in poverty. Most of his paintings can be viewed at the State Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow today.
Perov, Three students carrying water, 1866 | Here the artist depicts children carrying water in freezing conditions of Russian winter.Perov, The drowned woman, oil on canvas, 68 x 106 cm, 1867, The State Tretyakov Gallery
In this painting, the artist shows an indifferent policeman sitting and smoking over a dead body of a poor woman (presumably a prostitute) that happened so often that the officials expressed no interest in the lives of the disadvantaged.
There are more Russian artists who contributed to the legacy of Russian art in the Itinerants movement that included Ivan Kramskoy, Vasiliy Polenov, Vasiliy Surikov, Vladimir Makovsky, Mikhael Klodt, etc. Female painters were nonexistent until the 20th century Russia.
Makovsky, to the marriage, 1894 | Russian artists often critiqued the tradition of arranged marriage. In this oil painting we can see the desperation of a young bride who has to marry a wealthy, old man.
