Mythology and Art History

Mythology refers to a body of myths- stories that a particular culture believes to be true, and that use the supernatural to interpret natural events and to explain the nature of the universe and humanity. The existence of life, for instance, has varied explanations from different cultures across the world. Art on its part plays the role of expressing these beliefs creatively, through visual media such as painting, sculptor and even music.

At every stage in history, there have been expressions of culture or beliefs through art. In sum, mythology has been part and parcel of art history.

For instance, the ancient world is depicted through art forms that illustrate the world view that may be at variance with the way it is seen today, or how it was viewed at some point in history. Famous museums display Art forms of the ancient world that not only illustrate actual records of history, but also depict the link between the spiritual and the physical realms. African Masks from different communities engage the viewers on topics ranging from fertility to continuity, or the intercourse between realities and the spiritual.
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The Yoruba sculptor Agbonfie, for instance, illustrates the royal continuity through the sculptor of the regal woman carrying children on her back and hands. Depiction of Heracles wrestling with the nemean lion, and Hercules killing snakes show how the Greeks viewed their heroes and gods. These differ a great deal from the art in the middle Ages, classical period and modern times.

Art work during the Byzantine Empire, compared to that of the Roman Empire focuses mainly on religious subjects that were conservatively portrayed with little room for artists' expression. Pietro Cavallini became famous with his portrayal of The Virgin Woman, and the Last judgment. Domed churches and decorative mosaics flourished at this time. But as the world emerged from these periods, expressionism in art, and abstraction became an accepted form of fine art.

Whereas abstract art forms, which gained fame only in the early twentieth century, depict imagined scenarios, they are believed to portray reality. Psychoanalyst Jung believed that mystic symbols were part of the collective unconscious' mind. These, he believed were to be found in the imaginative products of the world in all times, and in all cultures. These can be seen in religious mythologies, fairy tales, painting and classical literatures . Thus, art works are seen here as transitional objects' ,and artists function as seers' did in ancient times for they communicate myth to the world today.

Although myths and rites depicted artistically, by various cultures have different interpretations, the archetypal essential forms and ideas are the same. For instance, metaphor is an essential product of thought and works of visual art. These developed products of thought can be metaphors for felt dimensions of experience. Although myths are bound to culture, time and place, the artist who is a master of metaphorical language unravels them ,and makes their appeal universal.

As a result, the famous works of art beginning with cave drawings through Monalisa, to modern artworks are synonymous with the history of mythology.

Bibliography:
O'Hear, A.(1988), The Element of Fire:Science, art, and the human world; London: Routledge.
Schecter, (1980), Animism & the development of Metaphoric thinking in Children: Dissertation Abstracts International, 41, 1980: p. 713B