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E176 - The meeting between Aritimi and the Thefrumines in a variable geometry
Acrylic on canvas 60 X 60 cm / 23, 62 x 23, 62 inches - 2014 -. Signature right on the outer edge of the chassis.More about this painting
- 2014
- 179 - The meeting between Aritimi and...
- 178 - The meeting between Aritimi and...
- 177 - The meeting between Aritimi and...
- 176 - The meeting between Aritimi and...
- 2007
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- 082 - Harpy huntress
- 081 - Six etruscan pursued by a woman...
- 080 - Mamekapoteo or I suffer and wish
- 079 - Removal of Koroné
- 078 - The lovers with the birds ...
- 077 - Avoided rape ...
- 076 - Si vis pacem para bellum
- 075 - The return of Tereus
- 074 - Attack of bees in Etruria
- 073 - Pastoral walk in Etruria
- 072 - Exhibition of a celtic acrobat in Etruria
- 2006
- 071 - A woman player of aulos
- 070 - Potnia Thérôn
More about this painting
INFORMATION TO READERS: This variable geometry comes in four separate tables with identical texts referenced E176 -177 to 178 & 179 which can also form a polyptych 60 x 240 cm / 23.62 x 94.49 inches.
ETRUSCAN / We all know more or less about the goddess Artemis, who was the goddess of the hunt in Greek mythology. The Romans called it Diana and her attributes were deer, golden bow, quiver and arrows. . What we know less is that Etruscan called Aritimi (sometimes Artumes).
She is the daughter of Tins (Zeus) and Latona (Leto), but also the sister of Apulu (Apollo). It is associated with the moon, while his brother Apulu is the sun. We also know that she sent the sudden death on women, which has not always made nice! We have not forgotten his unpleasant encounter with the hunter Ataiun (Actaeon) who caught her bathing naked. To punish him, she turned into Therianthrope deer, half-man, half-deer, which had the effect of its back against dogs who devoured him fiercely. Of course, the story of Aritimi is very long, but we will not stop us as its special meetings in varying geometries that give a new and happier life version compared to what we have learned to school when we were still students! It is unnecessary for me to point out to you that Thefrumines was the Etruscan name of the Minotaur. (M. Ferdinand BORIE - The Etruscan mirror 1898)
But who were these famous therianthropes behalf barbaric? They were also called zooanthropes because these human beings were only half; sometimes animals are also completely or partially. The best known example is the lycanthrope or werewolf in France. Indeed lycanthropy is, in mythology, legends and folklore mainly from European civilization, a human who has the ability to transform, partially or completely, wolf or an anthropomorphic wolf creature close. This transformation may be due to several causes, as a curse or a voluntary ritual, and more recently the bite of a wolf or another lycanthrope. It usually starts during the night and at every full moon, condemning the lycanthrope wandering wolf form until morning. The stories of werewolves are mentioned from Greek mythology, they are extended too many European countries, and more recently the world. Lycanthropes are mostly portrayed as evil beings with the capacity of wolf and man at the same time, a colossal force, and great ferocity as they are capable of killing many people in one night. They rarely remember their nocturnal mischief after resuming human form.
Except by the use of surgery and the use of costumes, the physical transformation of men into wolves is considered impossible. However, many people, including scholars, believed it for centuries and sometimes this belief still persists. Lycanthropy is now scientifically recognized as a symptom of mental illness in which the person believes changed into a wolf, it is called clinical lycanthropy.
The theme of lycanthropy became a frequent subject of modern fiction, abundantly reflected in the arts, literatures "fantasy" and fantastic as well as broadcasting, it is the center of a very large number of horror films and sagas, although these modern lycanthropes can have different characteristics elders, especially their vulnerability to silver bullets. Fortunately for my choice, I did not catch the wolf, which preferred to his cousin, the dog!
We know that this transformation can also be done in reverse. The best known example is "Beauty and the Beast" in the feature film of Jean Cocteau or the classic animated Disney Studios. While its origin is undoubtedly that of Apuleius, Cupid and Psyche (excerpt from Golden Ass or Metamorphoses), which dates from the second century. In 1550, Francesco Straparola gave a version he had taken the Italian folklore and he published in his facetious Nights (King Pig, second night, the first story). It appeared for the first time in France in the writings of Gabrielle-Suzanne de Villeneuve in 1740 in a collection of stories, The Young and American sailors tales, published anonymously, where different passenger sea crossing tell stories to pass the time. It truly became famous when that was shortened and taken by Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont in his children Store in 1757. Latter suppressed, especially throughout the second part, where Madame de Villeneuve recounted the quarrel fairies explaining the origin of the Royal Beauty. It is on this version is based most subsequent adaptations.
Let's talk now the style of these canvases inspired by the art of the period of ancient Greek geometry. Of course, for many of us, this period is a little more confusing especially since it goes back very far in time we have an idea.
Necessarily, we have little information if it does have some writings and archaeological treasures found in most of the world's museums. The period which concerns us begins 800 years BC and lasts only 300 years, knowing that the foregoing is that of so-called "dark Centuries" which is not an understatement!
Archaic period much remains painted pottery but these remnants give a false impression of the extent of the Greek artistic expression. The Greeks, like other European cultures, regarded painting as the noblest form of art. The painter “Polygnotus of Thasos”, who worked in the middle of the fifth century BC., was considered by the Greeks in the same way that were considered later Leonardo da Vinci or Michelangelo.
Greek painters worked mainly on wooden panels, which were quickly damaged after 400 BC because they were no longer maintained. Today, little has survived of Greek painting. There remain some examples of painted terracotta and paintings on the walls of tombs, mostly in Macedonia and Italy, but also in Alexandria, Cyrene or Thessaly. Masterpieces of Greek painting we have only some Roman copies, but most are of inferior quality. Painting on pottery, which remains many remains, gives an idea of the aesthetics of Greek painting. However, the techniques used were very different from those used for larger paintings. The painting was in its infancy at that time, and no work has survived for centuries. The range of colors that could be used on the pottery of this period was restricted by cooking techniques: black, white, red and yellow were the most common colors. Pottery kept their light natural color with some black patterns.
Geometrical art flourished in the ninth and eighth centuries BC It is characterized by new motifs, breaking with the iconography of Minoan and Mycenaean you know, since I discussed for three years from 2008 to 2011 in over 32 tables with their accompanying comments, which you may remember?
These new patterns or friezes are:
§ Greek, which is an ancient ornamental pattern formed by a straight line broken doing flashbacks and forming a band.
§ The meander is an ornament close to the Greek. The meander is composed of U chained while the Greek draws a more complex route including flashbacks.
§ The Triangle.
§ And other geometric patterns ... (hence the name of the period). They are arranged in separate black areas by triple lines stripes. Over time, the balance between dark decorated tapes and is broken in favor of the setting: the meanders and other reasons eventually cover the entire vase.
On paintings that concern us, they occupy only the lower half of the grounds.
For example, the contemporary designer Versace has appropriated this style that transfigures in many of his creations, to make his trademark.
Geometric back to Old (about 900-850 BC.) Where there are only geometric patterns, in what is called the style of "Black Dipylon", which is characterized by an extensive use of black varnish at Geometric Average (about 850-770 BC), figurative decoration makes its appearance: it is primarily strips of identical animals (horses, deer, goats, geese, etc.). Alternating which now with bands of geometric patterns. Meanwhile, the decoration becomes complicated and becomes increasingly abounding the painter reluctant to leave voids and filled rosettes or decorative swastikas. This approach is called "abhors a vacuum" and will not stop until the end of the Geometric period. When my "desire vacuum" staff, it corresponds to the upper half of each of canvas.
By mid-century appear human figures. The best known are those representations of vases found in Dipylon, one of the cemeteries of Athens. The fragments of these large funerary vases show mainly processions of chariots or warriors or of the funerary scenes: πρόθεσις / prothesis (exposure and lamentation of dead) ouἐκφορά / ekphorá (transport of the coffin to the cemetery). The body is represented geometrically except for calves, enough protruding. In the case of the soldiers, a shield-shaped dolly, nicknamed "Dipylon shield" because of its characteristic drawing, covers the central part of the body. The legs and the necks of the horses, the wheels of the carriages are shown next to each other. The hand of a painter of that time, called default signature "Dipylon Master," has been identified in several works, including the monumental amphorae.
At the end of the period appear mythological representations, probably when Homer formats traditions of Trojan cycle in the Iliad and the Odyssey.
However, over interpretation is there a risk to the modern observer: a confrontation between two warriors can be as well a Homeric duel than just fighting; beached boat can represent the shipwreck of Odysseus or anyone. This is not the case with my single human figure represented four times the goddess Aritimi in a gesture obviously very geometric!
As you know, Etruscan art was rediscovered in the nineteenth century, in beautiful and many tombs in Etruria. It was so refined that we attributed this to Etruscan art, as they were for most Greeks, it is true, with from Asia Minor in particular exotic variants, which caused a new question when their true origins! As you can see, I am also remained unconditional Etruscan.
Main sources: Wikipedia