Tuesday, March 16, 2010

John William Waterhouse, Artist.

Waterhouse , a Romantic d.1917, was best known for painting beautiful, dangerous, powerful women from myth and literature....This painting shows the women luring spring, Adonis,out of the ground.The central idea of the greek myth is that of the death and resurrection of Adonis, which represent the decay of nature every winter and its revival in spring. He is thus viewed by modern scholars as having originated as an ancient spirit of vegetation. Annual festivals called Adonia were held at Byblos and elsewhere to commemorate Adonis for the purpose of promoting the growth of vegetation and the falling of rain. The name Adonis is believed to be of Phoenician origin (from 'adon, "lord"), Adonis himself being identified with the Babylonian god Tammuz.
Do you know of any modern painters who paint beauty, and celebrate life? I am on the look-out this week for them....

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