Which Texts Painters Actually Used
Renaissance and Baroque mythological painting relied on a small set of Latin texts:
- Ovid: the Metamorphoses was the single most-used source.
- Virgil: the Aeneid, for Trojan and Roman subjects like Dido.
- Homer: read in translation, as Greek was less known.
- Apuleius: source for Cupid and Psyche.
- Later handbooks: summaries for artists who did not read the originals.
Painters used Roman names like Jupiter, Venus, and Mercury because their sources were Latin. Furthermore, myths arrived already interpreted through centuries of moralising commentaries. For instance, readers viewed the Metamorphoses as Christian allegory.
The Gods and Their Attributes
| Deity (Roman / Greek) | Attributes |
|---|---|
| Jupiter / Zeus | Eagle, thunderbolt |
| Juno / Hera | Peacock |
| Minerva / Athena | Helmet, owl, aegis, spear |
| Venus / Aphrodite | Doves, shell, Cupid, mirror |
| Diana / Artemis | Crescent moon, bow, hounds |
| Apollo | Lyre, laurel, sun |
| Mercury / Hermes | Caduceus, winged hat and sandals |
Why Patrons Wanted Mythological Subjects
Several motives operated at once:
- Learning. Mythological subjects proved the patron's classical education.
- Licence. Nudity was acceptable in pagan scenes, making Venus and Diana popular.
- Allegory. Gods personified abstract forces like love, wisdom, or time.
- Political analogy. Rulers appeared as Hercules or Apollo to claim legitimacy.
These myths posed no threat to Christian orthodoxy. Images offered both moral instruction and sensory pleasure simultaneously.
Common pitfall: treating these pictures as a revival of pagan religion. Patrons were not worshipping Jupiter. Instead, myths served as a shared literary language for exploring love, power, and death.