Renaissance Art
The Renaissance was the rebirth of the cultural achievements of Classical civilizations.
After a long gap of liitle or no interest in the art and literature of the Greeks and Romans,
interest was rekindled beginning about 1400 A.D., lasting through this and the following century,
the 1500s. The most notable period within this is called the "High Renaissance", the later
decades of the 15th century. Michelangelo Buonaratti is probably the best-known Renaissance
artist: his sculpture of David seen below certainly demonstrates a strong influence from Classical
Greek scupture and ideals. Besides the works of Michelangelo, we will see many other famous works from the
Renaissance, such as Botticelli's Birth of Venus.
Baroque Art
The 17th century A.D. (1600s) is known as the Baroque period of European art
Baroque art is gnerally characterized by an ornateness, and a fondess for 'spectacle'.
The emphasis is often on large, detailed scenes with huge, multiple-figure scenes
with a high sense of drama, absent in most Renaissance art.
One of the most significant Baroque artists is the sculptor Bernini, probably remembered most
for his decorative work at the Vatican. Several of his finest works, however, have scenes
and subjects taken from Greco-Roman myth, such as his version of 'Apollo and Daphne'.
Annibale Carracci is a significant painter of the baroque period; here is a general view of
his mural paintings for the Farnese Gallery in Rome; every one of the panels in this
huge room has a scene taken from a Greek myth.
Neoclassicism
In the 18th century, several factors, especially the rediscovery and excavation of Pompeii,
combined to rekindle some of the qualities of classical art. To these artists, the Baroque
style had become too ornate, too overly-detailed, getting too far away the restrained elegance of
the Classical period. One of the foremost Neoclassical artists was Jacqus-Louis David; below
is his painting of "The Death of Socrates". Although it is a historical rather than
mythological subject, the figures are posed very much like a classical Greek work.
Another major Neoclassicist is Jean-Auguste Ingres; here is his Jupiter (Zeus) and Thetis.
You can easily see the similarity to ancient classical subjects here.
Romanticism
Neoclassicism continued in the 1800s, but another important trend began, termed Romanticism.
This was partly a movement away from the strict conventions of Neoclassicism, which these artists
perceived as
over-strictness and preoccupation with formal style. To the Romantic artists, the major
factor of a painting was the emotion, the drama which it evoked, rather than an adherence
to the (neo-)classical style. Eugene Delacroix is one of the best examples of the Romanticists;
here are two of his major works, Liberty Leading the People, capturing the spirit of
the French revolution, followed by one of his mythological works, a pinting of the character Medea, depicting
an intense emotional moment when this woman is just about to kill her own children.
Modern Art (after 1900)
Although less common than previously, Greek myths continued to inspire some major artists since
the beginning of the
20th century. Here is a painting by the famous surrealist Salvador Dali, entitled
"Leda Atomica", and Paul Manship's huge gilded statue of Prometheus at Rockefeller
Center, New York City.
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David 
Venus 
Socrates 
Zeus 
Liberty 
Medea 
Dali 
Manship 
