Greek Mythology: Artemis

Artemis (or Diana if you're Roman) is the goddess of hunting, the wilderness, and wild animals. She is also associated with the moon, is the twin sister of Apollo and, in my personal opinion, one of the most badass ladies in history. For example, when giants attacked Olympus, Artemis transformed into a deer and ran in between them to throw them off. In ancient art, she's depicted as a young woman with a hunting bow and quiver of arrows. A deer or a dog usually follows her. She's also portrayed as strong judging by her height compared to others and has a crescent moon as a crown or a headdress of flowers. Artemis is one of (if not: the) most powerful and incredible goddess in Greek mythology.

Below are paintings and sculptures of Artemis.

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Giotto

Giotto di Bondone was born in the year of 1276 in Vespignano, near Florence, Italy. He is known as the as the most important Italian painter of the 14th century. His work plays a part to the famous Renaissance developed a century later. For almost seven centuries, Giotto has been known as the father of European painting and one of the first of the great masters of art. Unfortunately, Giotto died on January 8, 1337. However, he lived a full artistic life: he painted frescoes in the Upper Church at Assisi, in the Lower Church of the Basilica of St. Francis, and across Italy's historic churches. He primarily worked with frescoes and the theme of his art is focused on events from the bible. His art style is has very dark and earthy tones and he doesn't shy away from using intense imagery like blood and death. Above is The Lamentation by Giotto and can be seen in the Arena Chapel in Padua. This painting is known for the dark tones and the overwhelming sadness. It showcases the ...

Masks

Painted Masks: Painted masks start off with a basic form of a face then the details are painted on. Sculptural Masks: Sculptural masks are carved or molded into a face along with some extreme detail. Ancient Greek Masks: Ancient Greek masks are a form of sculptural masks, but they are far from human likeness. In comedy plays, the masks are so deformed to a specific emotion that they look ridiculous regardless of what they are trying to express. In tragedies, however, masks look more life-like to represent a person instead of a joke. All masks had their mouths wide open so that the actor could talk. They also had hair, nostrils, and large openings for the eyes built in for the actor to breathe and see.

Jan Van Eyck

Jan Van Eyck was born in the year of 1395 and was a prominent figure of the Early Netherlandish art of his time. Van Eyck served as an official to the ruler of Holland, John of Bavaria-Straubing. By this time he had assembled a small workshop and was involved in redecorating the Binnenhof palace. After John's death in 1425, he moved to Bruges and came to the attention of Philip the Good, and he was freed from commissions because of the court's salary. He used oils for his paintings and Van Eyck often conveyed what he saw as a harmony of the spiritual and material worlds using iconographic elements. The painting above is called the Arnolfini Portrait done by Jan Van Eyck. It forms a full-length double portrait, believed to showcase an Italian merchant named Giovanni di Nicolao Arnolfini and his wife. This oil painting has unique feature that was revolutionary at the time: a mirror. In the background, you can see a mirror reflecting the couple in the portrait. This was not ...

Some Art Opinions with Mack

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