The greatest charm of Greek mythology lies in the "same shape" of gods and people, and the temperaments of the gods originate from exaggerated human nature. Therefore, the Greeks believed that the gods were not perfect, they each had their own flaws, and even caused human wars and brought disasters to human beings.
The Trojan War originated from the battle of the gods - the little prince of Troy, Paris, abducted Helen, the queen of Sparta, with the help of Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty. Helen, the daughter of Zeus and Leda, grew up in the court of King Tyndareus of Sparta. The adult Helen became the most beautiful woman in the world, attracting many suitors. Tyndarius worried that no matter who he chose to be his son-in-law, he would offend other suitors, so he decided who could marry Helen by throwing a ring, and made all suitors swear that they would never attack Helen's husband and that he would be rescued when he needed help. time, do your best. Eventually, Menelaus married Helen and took the throne of Sparta.
The Love of Paris and Helen Jacques-Louis Davit Collection of the Louvre, Paris
How beautiful is Helen, the alluring country? Homer says she was "so beautiful that cold-hearted old men awe". Legend has it that some people questioned whether it was worth fighting for a woman for so long, but when Helen stood in the watchtower, people finally believed that no matter how much blood was shed for her, it was worth it. There are different reasons for the Trojan War in Greek mythology, but no one blames Helen. Just as the hero Hector said: "Both Troy and Helen are a pawn of the gods." The
myths and legends about Helen The story also reflects the Greeks' appreciation for the beauty of the human body. Ancient Greece was not a unified country, but a combination of many city-states, but these city-states were not large in scale. Aristotle even thought that the number of citizens should not be too large, and everyone who gathered should hear clearly "One. A speaker without amplifying tools" ([English] Arnold Toynbee, The Greek Spirit: A History of Civilization"). These city-states will fight for their own interests and form alliances for common interests, but they all require the participation of able-bodied citizens. Therefore, the Greeks appreciate the beauty of the human body. In their myths and legends, there is a heroic story of "rushing to the crown and angering the face". Their sculptures show the beauty of the gods with harmonious body proportions and the beauty of the healthy physique of competitive athletes.
Abduction of Helen Guido Reni from the Louvre Museum in Paris
Guido Reni was a great painter of the 17th century, and he created the image of ideal beauty strictly according to the standard of classical sculpture. Rainey's Abduction of Helen, created between 1627 and 1629, depicts Paris and Helen, accompanied by the crowd, walking briskly out of the Spartan court. Cupid, the god of love, appears in the lower right corner of the screen, he turned his head to look at the audience outside the screen, holding a bow and arrow in one hand, and pointing at Paris and Helen with the other, implying that his golden arrow made the two fall in love; The dog and monkey in the painting look at each other, the dog symbolizes loyalty, while the monkey is often used to represent human instinct, which implies human stupidity and vanity. Rainey and his followers were obsessed with shaping the image of classical beauty, and were regarded as the typical of academic painting. A hundred years later, a painter who was obsessed with pursuing classical beauty, Jacques-Louis Davitt, was born in France.
Davitt is a representative painter of French neoclassical painting, and he created "Paris and Helen's Love". Davitt's life is full of dramatic experiences, he was a fanatical revolutionary in the French Revolution of 1789 and a powerful figure in the First French Republic established in 1792, after the 1794 Thermidor coup, Davitt was arrested and imprisoned; Napoleon · After Bonaparte came to power, Davit was hired as a court painter. After the restoration of the Bourbon Dynasty, he was exiled again, and finally died in a foreign country.
The coronation of Napoleon I, Jacques-Louis Davit, two extant paintings, one in the Louvre in Paris and one in Versailles
Davitt's artistic road was also quite bumpy, and it took him nearly 20 years to form his own style. Davit initially studied under the Rococo master Boucher, but his temperament and disposition were completely unsuitable for the pretentious and exaggerated Rococo art. In 1774, Davitt won the "Prize of Rome" and had the opportunity to study in Rome. In the 18th century, Italy was the center of European culture and art. Not only painters and sculptors were eager to study in Italy, but the nobles and gentlemen also regarded Italy as a holy place for "gentlemen education", especially the two ancient cities of Herculaneum and Pompeii. Excavation, but also aroused the public's interest in classical culture. Davitt found inspiration in classical art and rose to fame with The Oath of the Horace Brothers.
Davitt's "The Love of Paris and Helen" was created in 1788. Whether it is the subject matter of the work, the poses of the characters, the costumes, or the caryatids in the background, it all reflects the author's preference for classical themes. In the painting, Paris holds a lyre and looks at Helen with affection, like the sun god in myth. Helen's standing posture is a bit strange, it seems difficult to stand firm, but this standing posture reflects the painter's inheritance of the "balanced style" of ancient Greek sculpture - Helen's left arm rests on Paris' shoulder, and the muscles of her upper arm are slightly tensed , the left leg is relaxed; Helen's right arm hangs down naturally, and the right leg bears the weight and stands upright. As a result, the painter obtained the outline of the figure with alternating tightness and elasticity.
The Oath of the Horace Brothers Jacques-Louis Davit Collection, Louvre, Paris
Davitt is good at expressing dramatic moments. His "Coronation of Napoleon I" is the pinnacle of his artistic creation, which is magnificent and cleverly conceived. On December 2, 1804, Napoleon was crowned emperor at Notre-Dame Cathedral. The proud conqueror refused to kneel before the Pope to be crowned, but put on the crown himself. Davitt cleverly avoided the "embarrassment" of the Pope in his works, depicting Napoleon, who had already put on the crown, crowning Queen Josephine, and the Pope could only sit behind Napoleon and send blessings. The love story between Napoleon and Empress Josephine is widely circulated. In the painting, Napoleon looks at his wife affectionately, and his hand holding the crown is the visual center of the picture. The portraits of the guests in the work are also worthy of praise. Although there are many figures, they have different postures and vivid expressions. The painter even added Napoleon's mother to the audience. In fact, Napoleon's mother was not present at the coronation. It is worth mentioning that Davitt created two "Coronation of Napoleon I", one in the Louvre and the other in the Palace of Versailles. The difference between the two works is only in the color of Princess Pollina's clothes. But it's all Davitt's work.
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