Other Possible Symbols Presented in the Persephone Myth

After a quick crit on Monday afternoon Lawrence advised me that perhaps I could look at the myth as a whole, not just the pomegranate to make readings of the tableau easier. Looking back on the work of Elsie Russel, I wholeheartedly agree with Lawrence. I want my work to have a painterly feel to it, so I think I would achieve this within the studio which I booked straight away.

The Myth of Persephone was a tool used to explain seasons, so I can also present the seasons in the tableau. Below is a list of the major Gods and Goddesses within the myth, and other symbolism presented within it. I perhaps won't use all of them but it's a good idea to look at the range.

Demeter - The mother of Persephone and the Goddess of the earth (essentially Mother Earth), also the Goddess of planned Society. In art she is often portrayed wearing "a wreath of braided ears of corn" (Lindemans, 2003), her sacred animals were the snake (earth) and the pig (fertility)

Hades - Is the God of Death and ruler of the underworld, disliked by all he is the antagonsit within the myth. "Hades possesses the riches of the earth, and is referred to as the Rich One", people sacrificed Black Sheep with averted eyes, and when they prayed they would bang their heads to the ground

Persephone - Daughter of Demeter and Zeus, she is snatched away by Hades because she is so beautiful. When Zeus demands her return Hades agrees but not before giving her a Pomegranate which curses her to stay within the underworld for a 3rd of the year. Other symbols of Persephone include flowers, and things to do with spring

Zeus - King of the Gods, and is the overseer of law and justice; which is ironic because he himself isn't virtuous and it takes him 3-4 months to actually get his daughter (Persephone) back from the underworld. He is the most well known God, and is portrayed with lightning bolts in art a lot,

Within the myth there is an undertone of sex and death, Persephone (an innocent maiden) is abducted by Hades (death incarnate). The next quote explains what I mean better and is taken from Pollefeys, P. (2014). Death and the maiden. [online] Lamortdanslart.com. Available at: http://www.lamortdanslart.com/fille/maiden.htm [Accessed 30 Oct. 2015].

Many dances of Death already figured a representation of Death with a fine lady or with a beautiful virgin. The image of a young woman was also found in the three ages and Death. However in both cases, there was no trace of eroticism. But with Death and the maiden theme, something new happened. People discovered a dark bound between sexuality and death. In this type of iconography, the young lady was not involved in a dance anymore, but in a sensual intercourse, which will become always more erotic as time went by.

Niklaus Manuel Deutsch, 1517