instilling fear, revulsion, devotion, or wonderment ...

1. instilling fear, revulsion, devotion, or wonderment ...

3. a three headed dog, pet of Hades,
a many-headed, serpent-like creature that guarded an Underworld entrance beneath Lake Lerna,
giants humanoids of extraordinary size, strength, and appetite, often with little intelligence,
a woodland creature that had the body of a man with the ears and tail of a goat or horse, sometimes with hooves,
today, these creatures continue to thrill, terrify, entertain, and inspire us …

4. Dangerous Monsters and Mythological Creatures
in paintings
(1)

5. Minotaure
a man-eating monster with the body of a man and the head of a bull.
His mom, Queen Pasiphae of Crete, was cursed to fall in love with a magical bull sent from the sea by Poseidon.
The creature resided in the twisting maze of the labyrinth where it was offered a regular sacrifice of youths
and maidens to satisfy its cannibalistic hunger. The beast was eventually slain by the hero Theseus.

6. the Minotaur gazing out to sea awaiting the next shipment
of young men and virgin women from Greece ...
the small bird crushed by his mighty fist symbolizes the purity
and vulnerability of youth
George Frederic Watts
The Minotaur
Le Minotaure
1885
The Tate Gallery, London

9. Theseus has just decapitated the Minotaur,
while Ariadne waits, holding the thread which
enables him to retrace his steps to the exit ...
Master of the Cassoni Campana, Maître des Cassoni
Campana
Theseus and the Minotaur
Thésée et le Minotaure
1510s
Musée du Petit Palais, Avignon

13. Pan, Faunus
the god of shepherds and hunters, and of the meadows and forests of the mountain wilds,
depicted as a man with the horns, legs and tail of a goat, a thick beard, snub nose and pointed ears.
He often appears in scenes of the company of Dionysus.
Pan idled in the rugged countryside of Arkadia (Arcadia), playing his panpipes and chasing Nymphs.

14. a young faun is struggling to make musical sounds
from the reed pipes he holds so intently …
Franz Stuck
Dissonance
1910
Villa Stuck, Munich

17. an faun
and
an small blackbird on the branch
Arnold Böcklin
Faun whistling to a Blackbird
Faune sifflant à un merle, Faune et le merle
1864-1865
Neue Pinakothek, Munich

20. the ugly god Pan in love with the beautiful Syrinx ...
By a merciful spell, the vainly fleeing nymph is turned
into reeds. Later on the smart god will manufacture
a flute from the reeds in order to at least hear her voice.
Jan Breughel the Younger, Peter Paul Rubens
Jan Brueghel le Jeune, Peter Paul Rubens (studio)
Pan and Syrinx
Pan et la Syrinx
1600-1649
Staatliches Museum Schwerin, Schwerin

24. Satyr
part man and part beast, a mythical woodland creature that had the body of a man with asinine ears
and tail of a goat or horse, sometimes with hooves
The Greek poet Hesiod identifies satyrs as brothers of the nymphs, while also calling them "good-for-nothing" and
"mischievous." Followers of Dionysus, the god of wine and ecstasy, satyrs had a reputation for drunkenness and lewdness.
They were considered symbols of fertility and were frequently portrayed chasing nymphs.

25. a group of nymphs have been surprised, while bathing
in a secluded pond, by a lascivious satyr ...
some of the nymphs are trying to dampen the satyr's ardor
by pulling him into the cold water
William-Adolphe Bouguereau
Nymphs and Satyr
Nymphes et satyre
1873
Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute, Williamstown

28. the satyr Marsyas challenged the god Apollon ...
as punishment for his hubris, Apollon had Marsyas tied to
a tree and flayed alive
(The choice of such a violent scene was perhaps inspired
by the death of Marcantonio Bragadin, the Venetian commander
of Famagusta in Cyprus who was flayed by the Ottomans
when the city fell in August 1571, causing enormous outrage
in Venice.)
Titian (Tiziano Vecelli)
The Flaying of Marsyas
Le Supplice de Marsyas
1570-1576
Arcidiecézní muzeum Kroměříž, Olomouc Museum of Art, Kroměříž

31. Cyclopes
Basically, there are two main branches of the Cyclopes family.
The elder Cyclopes who they allied with Zeus, forged some weapons for the Olympians, and retired to a cushy career
working at Hephaestus' forge.
The other main branch of the Cyclopean family comes in the form of shepherds with a taste for man-flesh.
This tribe became famous when Odysseus made a pit stop on their island and stuck a rather sharp stick in the eye
of a Cyclops named Polyphemus.

32. an episode from the ancient Greek epic, the Odyssey ...
hero Ulysses’ crew rowing frantically out to sea, through
large waves, as Polyphemus prepares to hurl a huge rock
at them from the shore
Arnold Böcklin
Odysseus and Polyphemus
Ulysse et Polyphème
1896
Museum of Fine Arts Boston, Boston

36. the Cyclops Polyphemus spies on the sleeping Nereid Galathea
from behind a tall mountain ...
the one-eyed giant’s love remains unrequited, as Galathea
prefers the river god Acis.
When Polyphemus finds them embracing, he crushes Acis
with a boulder ...
Odilon Redon
The Cyclops
Le cyclope
1914
Kröller-Müller Museum, Otterlo

39. Chimera
a bizarre fire-breathing creature with the body and head of a lion,
with the head of a goat protruding from its back and a snake as its tail. Interestingly, the goat's head is the one that breathed fire!
The chimera romped about Lycia, spreading havoc, until slain by the hero Bellerophon on his winged steed, the Pegasus.

40. Though she was once believed to be nearly invincible (as she
had a lion's strength, a goat's cunning, and a snake's venom),
Bellerophon rode into battle on his winged horse Pegasus
and drove a lead-tipped sword into the Chimera's flame-covered
mouth, choking her on the molten metal.
Giovanni Battista Tiepolo
The Force of Eloquence, Bellerophon riding Pegasus, slaying the
Chimaera, detail
Pouvoir de l'Éloquence, Bellerophon tue la chimère tout en chevauchant
Pégase, détail
1723
Palazzo Sandi Porto Cipollato, Venice

43. a chimera whit a human head and body, angelic wings,
and a serpent’s (or dragon’s) tail.
Gustave Moreau
Chimera
Chimère
1884
Musée National Gustave-Moreau, Paris

46. Bellerophon by attacking the Chimaera from the air …
Peter Paul Rubens
Bellerophon, Pegasus and Chimera
Bellérophon, monté sur Pégase transperce la Chimère, Bellérophon
terrassant la Chimère
1635
Musée Bonnat-Helleu, Bayonne

49. Centaur
Centaurs were a tribe of half-man, half-horse savages who inhabited the mountains and forests of Thessalian Magnesia.
They were a primitive race who made their homes in caves, hunted wild animals for food and armed themselves with rocks
and tree branches;
they spend most of their time galloping around, swilling wine, swiping women, and hitting things with rocks.
The Centaurs were spawned by the cloud-nymph Nephele after she was violated by the impious Lapith king Ixion.

50. the most puzzling Arnold Böcklin‘s painting
Nessus and Deianeira wrestle grimly and Heracles
behind them is busy pushing a spear into Nessus’ bulging
belly. Blood pours from the wound ...
The Story
Nessus was a centaur, part man and part horse, who set
himself up as the ferryman on the river Euenos.
One day, Deianeira, the beautiful wife of Heracles
(Hercules), wanted to cross the river, so she mounted
Nessus’ back and he took her across. When he was doing
so, he decided to try to abduct and rape her.
However, Heracles was on the bank of the river which they
had just left, and heard Deianeira’s cries. He drew his bow
and shot Nessus in the breast with an arrow whose tip was
poisoned with the blood of Hydra.
Arnold Böcklin
Nessus and Deianira
Nessus et Déjanire
1898
Museum Pfalzgalerie Kaiserslautern, Kaiserslautern

53. Gustave Moreau contrasted the centaur's dark skin and muscular
strength with Dejanira's pale flesh and graceful, lithe figure.
The centaur seeks to embrace this white and graceful figure,
which is about to escape him. It is a last gleam, a last smile
of nature and life. Winter threatens. Night is coming on.
It is autumn.
Gustave Moreau
Autumn, Deianeira
L’Automne, Déjanire
1872
J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles

56. the story of the centaur Chiron, who fatally wounded himself
while inspecting the arrows of Hercules tainted
by the poison of the Hydra.
Filippino Lippi
The Wounded Centaur
Le centaure blessé
1490
Christ Church, University of Oxford

59. hand-to-hand combat, and wielding rocks ...
A fierce battle erupted.
The centaurs used tree trunks and slabs
of stone as weapons, but eventually
the Lapiths won the fight, killing many
centaurs.
The centaurs were forced to leave Thessaly.
Arnold Böcklin
Fight of the Centaurs
Le Combat des Centaures
1873
Kunstmuseum Basel, Basel

62. A centaur bears a dead poet with a lyre …
Gustave Moreau
Poète mort porté par un centaure
Dead poet borne by centaur
1890
Musée National Gustave-Moreau, Paris

65. the submission of passion to reason ...
Sandro Botticelli
Pallas and the Centaur
Pallas et le Centaure
1482
Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence

68. Cerberus
was the gigantic, three-headed hound of Haides which guarded the gates of the underworld and prevented the escape
of the shades of the dead.
Was depicted as a three-headed dog with a serpent's tail, mane of snakes, and a lion's claws.
According to some he had fifty heads although this count may have included the serpents of his mane.

69. Cerberus, the terrifying three-headed monster,
guards the circle of Hell where gluttons are punished.
Dante’s Inferno, canto 6 verses 12-24 ..
Cerberus, monster cruel and uncouth,
With his three gullets like a dog is barking
Over the people that are there submerged.
Red eyes he has, and unctuous beard and black,
And belly large, and armed with claws his hands;
He rends the spirits, flays, and quarters them.
Howl the rain maketh them like unto dogs;
One side they make a shelter for the other;
Oft turn themselves the wretched reprobates.
When Cerberus perceived us, the great worm!
His mouths he opened, and displayed his tusks;
Not a limb had he that was motionless.
William Blake
Cerberus (from Illustrations to Dante’s ‘Divine Comedy’)
Cerbère (illustration de la Divine Comédie de Dante)
1824–1827
The Tate Gallery, London

72. The Twelfth Labor: Cerberus
Hercules knew how much Hades loved that fierce, bad tempered
dog, and asked Hades' permission to briefly capture Cerberus
Hades agreed that Hercules could try, as long as he used no
weapons and did not hurt poor Cerberus.
Hercules used his bare hands ...
Peter Paul Rubens
Hercules and Cerberus
Hercule et Cerbère
1636
Museo Nacional del Prado, Madrid

75. Duke Cosimo I de' Medici as
the mythological musician and poet after having calmed Cerberus,
the doglike guardian to Hades from which Orpheus wished
to retrieve his wife, Eurydice
Agnolo Bronzino
Portrait of Cosimo I de' Medici as Orpheus
Portrait de Cosimo I de' Medici en Orphée
1537-1539
Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia

77. olga_oes
Dangerous Monsters and Mythological Creatures in paintings (1)
Monstres dangereux et créatures mythologiques dans la peinture (1)
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Music The Piano Guys Something Just Like This Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2
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