These are:

Europa and Zeus as a bull.

Danae and Zeus' golden rain.

Heracles and the Nemean lion.

Theseus and the Minotaur.

Odysseus and Circe.

Orpheus as Musician.

Actaeon's Death for Offending Artemis.

Perseus and the Gorgon Medusa.

If you wish to study a different myth, please have your topic approved by me.

Papers for undergraduates should have about 8 pages of text and those for graduate students ca. 12 pages of text.
 

Using the methods and sources outlined in list of reserve materials, Guide to Research (on reserve) and Classical Myth in Western Art (text), locate photos and descriptions of an example of your myth from each of these periods:

1. Greek: 800 - 30 B.C.

2. Roman: 30 B.C. - 330 A.D.

3. Medieval (are examples from all myths except Danae and Circe): 330 A.D. - 1400 A.D.

4. Renaissance: 1400-1600

5. Baroque/Rococo/Neo-Classical/Early Romantic: 1600-1800 A.D.

6. Modern: 19^th and 20^th Centuries, including Late Romantic, Pre-Raphaelite, Symbolist and Surrealist Movements
 

Content of the paper:

In composing your research paper, bear in mind that it needs to have an introduction explaining the narrative content of the myth, and a main text which introduces the myth in each period and describes your example in the context of how typical or atypical it is for representations of the myth in the period. The discussions of your examples from the different periods should indicate the medium and scale, the artists (when known), specific dates (when available), the names of the patrons who commissioned the works and the original locations of the works (when available), and current locations with inventory numbers (when available). The discussions of the examples should also provide detailed descriptions of all the figures in the images, their roles and attributes, and any indication of setting for the mythological incident. Also indicate when possible how each image is appropriate for the nature of the commission and for the work's original location. Your paper should also include a conclusion, in which you outline the significance of your myth in art through the ages, and the standard and changing components of the mythological representations. In your conclusion, try to provide explanations for any changes in the mythological tradition for representing your myth. Alterations in the way the myth is related in contemporary literature is one possible explanation. For example, Danae was transformed from being likened to the Virgin Mary's immaculate conception of Christ (as in Franciscus de Retza's account) to a prostitute paid with a shower of gold coins (as in Boccaccio's explanation of the myth). This change in her frame of reference led to the alteration of her mode of representation from a modest virgin to a sexually responsive nude, often accompanied by a procuress.

The paper should include footnotes documenting sources (with page numbers cited) for quotes, paraphrases and interpretations of the representations. It should also have photocopied or digital illustrations of all the examples from art which you discuss; these illustrations should be numbered in the order of their discussion in your paper, and the numbers should be cited in your paper as you begin to discuss each example. Finally, a bibliography of important sources should be included.
 

For those wishing to use art located on campus among your examples, these engravings are available:

"L'enlèvement d'Europe" (Abduction of Europa), engraving after painting by Titian, vol. 1, N 2050/P154c, Rare Books, Main Library (photographic print available).

"Jupiter et Danaé" (Jupiter = Zeus and Danae), engravings after paintings by Annibale Carracci, Correggio and Rottenhamer, vols. 1 and 3, N 2050/P154c, Rare Books, Main Library (photographic prints available).

"Diane et Actéon" (Diana = Artemis and Actaeon), engraving after painting by Titian, vol. 1, N 2050/P154c, Rare Books, Main Library (photographic print available).

"Mort d'Actéon" (Death of Actaeon), engraving after painting by Titian, vol. 3, N 2050/P154c, Rare Books, Main Library (photographic print available).

"Orpheus and Lyre," engraving dated 1961 by Marc Dautry, SPB-D#1, Georgia Museum of Art (can be viewed by appointment, tel. 706-542-4662; also, photographic print available).
 

Main Reference area NX650 .M9L40 vols. 1-8 Lexicon Iconographicum Mythologiae Classicae (1981 ff.); in articles under Greek spellings of names, such as "Herakles," this encyclopedia lists and illustrates examples of myths from Greek, Etruscan and Roman art, with bibliography provided for examples (starred items are illustrated in the accompanying volume of plates).

On reserve, N6250 .W436 and ND2930 .W415 1984 K. Weitzmann, Greek Mythology in Byzantine Art (1951 & 1984); discusses and illustrates ivory casket reliefs and manuscripts with depictions of Medieval examples of myths from 10th-12th-century Byzantine art.
 

Main Reference area NX650 .M9 R45 1993 J.D. Reid, The Oxford Guide to Classical Mythology in the Arts: 1300-1990s (1993); lists and provides bibliography on examples of myths from Renaissance period through the 20th century.
 

Most comprehensive research tools for Greek examples of myths:

Perseus Art and Archaeology online database, with Vase Catalog, Sculpture Catalog and Architecture Catalog, that have descriptions, images and bibliography.  Examples of themes can be located by Keyword, then Mythological Scenes.

Online Beazley Archive Extensible Database, which provides images of and biblography for all attributed Attic black and red-figure vases.

GALILEO's most comprehensive research tools for classical and post-classical examples of myths:

L'Année philologique (the most comprehensive bibliographic database on ancient art, that indexes hundreds of journals, books and dissertations for the years 1959-present); you can do "Full Text" searches of abstracts for mythological characters and names of ancient artists.  

Art Index (indexes articles on and illustrations of art from all periods from ca. 400 international journals from 1984 ff.).  This can be searched by mythological characters and artists' names.

Art Index Retrospective (indexes articles on and illustrations of art from all periods from ca. 400 international journals from 1929-1984).  This can be searched by mythological characters and artists' names.

BHA: Bibliography of the History of Art.  BHA's coverage begins with 1973.  It is "the most comprehensive art bibliography available worldwide, covering European and American visual arts from late antiquity to the present...  [It] indexes and abstracts art-related books, conference proceedings and dissertations, exhibition and dealers' catalogs, and articles from over 4,300 periodicals...  [It] includes and extends the coverage of its two predecessor art indexes: Répertoire d'Art et d'Archéologie (RAA) from 1973 to 1989 [note that literature on ancient art is therefore included for these years] and International Repertory of the Literature of Art (RILA) from 1975 to 1989."  Because it has extensive subject headings, this database can be searched by mythological characters and artists' names and names of artists' works.
 
ARTbibliographies Modern's coverage begins with 1974.  It "includes abstracts of journal articles, books, essays, exhibition catalogs, and dissertations. Its scope includes artists and movements beginning with Impressionism up to the most recent works. It includes all aspects of contemporary art, including performance art and installation works, video art, computer and electronic art, body art, graffiti, photography, crafts, jewelry as well as painting, printmaking, sculpture and drawing."