You are required to visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s website. (You may also go to the Met if you choose. You have to book reservations in advance; refer to their website: https://www.metmuseum.org/ (Links to an external site.))
Find six artifacts in total from appropriate collections (Greek & Roman art, European paintings, European sculpture & Decorative arts) which pertain to Greek and/or Roman Mythology. I expect to receive a well-written report from you – about 6-12 pages in length.
Select six pieces of art from appropriate collections WHICH PERTAIN TO GREEK OR ROMAN MYTHOLOGY. Choose artifacts that you recognize! Take notes! Take pictures, but know you do not have to submit pictures. If you don’t like the piece of art, don’t write on it! I suggest you check out the Met’s website before you go so you can come up with a plan of action. The Met is a massive museum, and one of the largest in the world.
You will write a well-written paper, about 6-10 pages in length (about one page per artwork). Each essay stands alone.
First provide the following information in single-spaced list form:
- type of artifact (sculpture, painting, vase etc.)
- material (e.g. marble, bronze)
- date of artifact (approximately if necessary)
- artist’s name (if known)
- provenance of artifact (where did it come from originally?)
Example:
- statue of Artemis
- bronze
- unknown
- unknown
- discovered in Thebes, Greece in 1964
- This information will be easily on the informational card near the artifact or on the website. You’re doing this to give credit to the artist, if one is listed. A painting by Rubens, for example, will clearly state what year he painted it, while a sculpture from the year 2AD will probably list the artist as “unknown.” Then, in full sentences, write several paragraphs about the artifact. What is it? How did you know? Have some fun! Tell me about the artifact! Tell a myth or two or three about this artifact or painting – but do not write a play-by-play retelling of the myth. Write creatively. It’s a first person paper so you can write “I thought X” or “This reminded me of X.”
- What iconographical details make this mythological scene or figure recognizable?
Example: “This statue is clearly Heracles because he is holding a lion skin and club. Heracles is known for X and X. One myth about Heracles is that he killed the Nimean Lion….”
OR
“I recognized this statue as Artemis because she is carrying a bow and arrow. As goddess of the hunt, Artemis often carries these weapons. She …” this and that….
- If the artifact depicts a scene from a myth, explain how it relates to the story from which it comes. If the artifact depicts a figure, write a description of the characteristics and associations of the figure, and briefly mention some of the stories associated with the figure.
“The scene on this vase is Dionysus and his followers walking through a forest. Dionysus, the god of wine, is recognizable because he has grapes in his hair and he is carrying a jug of wine. His followers include women (maenads) and satrys. Everyone seems a little tipsy, or at least happy. One myth about Dionysus is….” ETC
- Do you like it? Why or why not? Have fun with this part!
“I don’t like this statue at all because the face of the satyr is scary; he looks like a deranged madman.” Or “This statue is my favorite because the beauty of the myth and the beauty of the marble piece coincide. I looked at this statue for a long time and I remembered the story ….”
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