If you’re familiar with the Japanese art of wood joinery, you’ll likely find kumiko equally intriguing. The traditional craft emerged in the Asuka era between about 600 and 700 C.E. and similarly eschews nails in favor of perfectly cut pieces that notch into place. Intricate fields of florals and geometric shapes emerge, creating a decorative panel that typically covers windows or divides a room.
A video from The Process, a YouTube channel exploring various manufacturing sectors and hand-crafted techniques, visits the workshop of Kinoshita Mokuge. Viewers are welcomed into the meticulous, labor-intensive process of producing elaborate, interlocked motifs. Japanese Arts also offered a glimpse into this art form a few years back during an equally calming visit to Kurozu Tetsuo’s studio.
What you don’t know about Ancient Delphi, God Apollo, Oracle, Myths, History, Architecture & Art
You can take a deep dive into ancient Greek history by virtually visiting Delphi, the cult center with its gods, oracles, art, architecture, and myths.
Mycenae, view from the top of the mountain where excavations unearthed the ancient site.
Mycenae is the ancient archeological site near Mykines in Argolis, Greece. It’s a fascinating place to visit when you learn about its connection to the ancient Greek history. What seems to be a myth today was a reality in some 16th century BC. This is a place of one of the oldest known cultures in the world- the Mycenaeans. They wrote in Linear B text, the cyclopes built walls and people worshiped the Earth goddess. Perseus founded Mycenae and Agamemnon, king of Mycenae, set out against Troy in the Trojan War. Thanks to independent excavations of an adventurer and explorer, Heinrich Schliemann in 1876, Mycenae got unearthed to us today. Mycenae is located about 120 km (75 miles) south-west of Athens, near Argos. Corinth is about 48 km (30 miles) away from it. The site stands on a beautiful mountain rising 900 feet (274 meters) above the sea level. The collapse of the Mycenaean civilization happened around 1100 BC.
Mycenae excavations
While you can view some artifacts from these excavations in a nearby archeological museum, other items are on display at the museum in Athens. I’m placing pictures about the Mycenean culture from both museums here. I also put some pictures of the local landscape and excavations in the area for you to see how it looks like today. Some pictures look orange and it’s not because of a fancy filter. When we visited Mycenae, the sky turned orange and a rain of sand drops covered the entire landscape as far as we could see. It turned out, it was due to the Sahara dust storm that moved with the wind turning everything orange. The sand covered trees, cats and us. 🙂 The historic descriptions of the place you’ll see below come from the area and museums I visited there.
Mycenean figures revealed during the excavations of the site in Mycenae, Greece
According to Greek legends, Mycenae was founded by Perseus, son of the god Zeus, and the human princess Danae. King of Argos, Perseus beheaded the gorgon, Medusa who turned men to stone. The legend tells a story that Perseus after fulfilling the prophecy that he would kill his grandfather Acrisios, exchanged the kingdom of Argos for that of Tiryns and then founded Mycenae, a new city for himself.
"It's known to the Greeks, that Perseus founded Mycenae……." Pausanias, II, 15,4
Perseus with the Head of Medusa, Antonio Canova, Italian, commissioned by Count Jan and Countess Valeria Tarnowski, 1804–6, the Met, http://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/204758
Where does the name ‘Mycenae’ come from? There are at least 3 explanations given for this name.
1. It comes from Perseus’ sword pommel that he dropped in this place. The sword had a mushroom shape (mykes).
2. It comes from an actual mushroom that Perseus picked up to drink from when he was thirsty. It caused a spring to well up (Perseia spring).
3. Homer derives the name from Mycenae, a nymph of great beauty but of uncertain origins. The Perseid dynasty ruled over Mycenae and its territories for at least three generations. Eurystheus, the last of the line, was the king for whom Hercules performed his famous twelve labors. When Eurystheus was killed in a battle against the Athenians and the sons of Hercules, the people of Mycenae chose Atreus, the son of Pelops, to become their king.
Perseus beheading Medusa, terracotta lekythos (oil flask), attributed to the Diosphos Painter, ca. 500 BCE the Met. While Perseus flies over the Medusa, Pegasus jumps out from the gorgon’s dead body. http://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/247488
Fact or Myth #2: Perseus employed Cyclopes to build the walls
To fortify his city, Perseus employed the mythical “Cyclopes” to build the walls and it is from that event the style of gigantic masonry is named “Cyclopean”. So the cyclopean masonry can be seen in the Lion Gate and the North Gate. It’s believed that the cyclopes built the walls around the gate because the weight of these stones is between 20-100 tons!
Funerary Proto-Attic Amphora with a depiction of the blinding of the cyclopes- Polyphemus by Odysseus and his companions, 670-660 BCE, Eleusis. The Cyclops is depicted on the right of the vase | photo: Veronica Winters
Who are the cyclopes in ancient Greek mythology? Cyclopes are a race of giants with one eye in the middle of their foreheads. Their name comes from the Greek words Kýklōpes, which means “circle-eyes” or “round-eyes”. The Cyclopes are often depicted as unintelligent and work as shepherds. They are known for their extraordinary strength, height, and power. Two of the main myths appear in the works of Homer and Hesiod, 7th-century BCE poets and storytellers. In Theogony, Hesiod describes the Cyclopes as three brothers named Arges, Steropes, and Brontes who were blacksmiths and made Zeus’s thunderbolt. In the Odyssey, the Cyclopes are an uncivilized group of shepherds that Odysseus encounters, including Polyphemus, one of their brothers. In the story, Odysseus and his men get trapped in Polyphemus’s cave after eating and drinking his food. Odysseus eventually blinds Polyphemus by plunging a burning stake into his eye while he’s sleeping, and escapes with six of his friends by clinging to the bellies of Polyphemus’s sheep. The Cyclopes are also known for building the Cyclopean walls of Mycenae and Tiryns, and for helping the Olympian gods defeat the Titans in the Titanomachy. In gratitude, the gods released the Cyclopes from Tartarus after Uranus imprisoned them for unruly behavior, and the Cyclopes went on to make Hades’s helmet, Poseidon’s trident, and Artemis’s silver bow.
Fact or Myth #3: The Lion Gate mystery reveal
The Lion Gate, Mycenae
THE LION GATE
The main gate of the Acropolis was constructed in the middle of the 13th century BC. One of its main features is a limestone slab, which fills the area of the “relieving triangle” and bears two lions facing each other in relief. Their front paws lean on two small altars supporting a column. The missing heads were probably made of a different material- steatite. These lions look different and out of place like they were carried from someplace and set in here to make this unusual entrance. This is the earliest example of a monumental sculpture set between the gigantic stones that symbolize the royal house of Mycenae.
THE NORTH (POSTERN) GATE
It was constructed during the second building phase of the walls around 1250 BC. Four monolithic blocks of conglomerate (‘almond stone’) form the two jambs, the lintel and the threshold. The gate was closed with a double wooden door, bolted by a sliding bar. Instead of a relieving triangle, it has two, plain, vertical slabs set on edge above the lintel, thus transferring the weight to the two doorposts. Inside the gate is a small internal court, from which a road led up to the megaron. The special care with which the two large gates of the citadel were built attests to the Mycenaean masons’ expertise.
The Gate shows the Cyclopean masonry with multi-ton stones.
Fact or Myth #4: Discovery of the Agamemnon Shrine of the Mycenean king who fought in the Trojan War
THE AGAΜΕΜΝΟΝΕΙΟΝ
In Greek mythology, Agamemnon was a legendary king of Mycenae who led the Greek army during the Trojan War. Famous for his bravery and military skills, Agamemnon was the son of King Atreus and Queen Aerope, and the brother of Menelaus. He married Clytemnestra, and they had several children, including Iphigenia, Electra, Orestes, and Chrysothemis.
The Agamemnoneion is one of the most important shrines of historical times in the vicinity of Mycenae. It is located approximately 1 km southwest of the Acropolis. Excavations in the area brought to light the architectural remains of a rectangular building that was used from the late Geometric ( 700 BC) to the Hellenistic period ( 2nd century BC). The early form of the shrine remains unclear. However, in the Hellenistic period, the shrine was repaired and transformed into a temenos.
Most of the finds come from an archaic deposit that contained among other finds geometric and archaic Argive pottery and archaic figurines, all of which appear to be offerings to male gods or heroes. Inscribed sherds referring to Agamemnon, have led to the identification of this small sanctuary as a shrine of the hero and protagonist in Homer’s Iliad.
The Trojan War
The Trojan War is the most famous event in Greek mythology that involves a decade-long siege of the city of Troy by the Greeks. Three goddesses, Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite quarreled who was the fairest of them all. Their judge, Paris, the handsome son of the Trojan king Priam, decided in favor of Aphrodite and as a reward, was promised the most beautiful woman in the world, Helen, wife of king Menelaus of Sparta.
The abduction of Helen, Queen of Sparta, by Paris, the Prince of Troy triggered the Trojan War. Helen’s husband, King Menelaus of Sparta, convinced his brother, King Agamemnon of Mycenae, to lead an expedition to Troy to retrieve her. Agamemnon was joined by many Greek heroes, including Achilles, Odysseus, Nestor, and Ajax, and a fleet of 1186 ships and more than 100.000 men from 22 different states set out against Troy under the command of Agamemnon, king of Mycenae.
The ten-year war included many events, such as raids on other cities, single combat challenges, mutinies, and love affairs. The Greeks won many battles and killed the Trojan hero Hector, but they were unable to break through the walls of Troy. Odysseus then devised a plan to trick the Trojans into opening the gates by leaving behind a large wooden horse containing a raiding party. When the Trojans brought the horse into the city, the Greeks opened the gates and sacked Troy, killing the men and taking the women. The war is told in many works of Greek literature, most notably Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey, which were likely composed in the 8th century BC. The Trojan hero, Hector, was slain by Achilles. Homer’s poem ends there and does not mention Achilles’ death, the stratagem of the wooden “Trojan Horse” and the sack of Troy.
The legends of Mycenae: the house of Pelops
Atreus, son of Pelops, ruled Mycenae. His enmity, towards his brother Thyestes led him to give the unfortunate man the flesh of his own children to eat (the so-called “Thyestean feast”). The deed brought upon Atreus and all his descendants the wrath of the gods and Thyestes’ curse. His son and heir, Agamemnon, was murdered on his return from the Trojan war by his own wife Clytemnestra, assisted by her lover, Aegisthos. Orestes, Agamemnon’s son, and his sister Elektra killed both their mother and Aegisthos. After that, Orestes was forced to flee, pursued by the Fates, until he was finally acquitted by the Areopagus court in Athens. The last king of Mycenae, according to tradition was Tisamenos, Orestes’ son. He got killed while defending his state from an incursion by the descendants of Heracles.
Mycenean gold, in the Athens museum
Fact or Myth #5: The Agamemnon’s Gold Mask Mystery
The Mask of Agamemnon is displayed at the National Archeological Museum in Athens.
The Mask of Agamemnon is a gold funeral mask that was discovered in 1876 by archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann in the shaft graves of a royal cemetery at Mycenae, Greece (Grave Circle A). This mask was one of several gold funeral masks found laid over the faces of the dead buried in the shaft graves of a royal cemetery. The golden mask is 12 inches tall. Made from a single sheet of pure gold, it was hammered thin over a wooden mold. It’s considered one of the most famous discoveries from the Late Bronze Age as it shows the wealth and craftsmanship of the Mycenaeans at that time. The mask is displayed in the National Archaeological Museum in Athens.
Schliemann named the mask after the famous king of ancient Mycenae, Agamemnon, who is featured in Homer’s Odyssey and Euripides’ plays. The archeologist believed the mask was Agamemnon’s because of its preservation and nobility, and thought it could prove the king’s existence. However, the mask’s origin is up to debate since its discovery. Some art historians and archaeologists believe the mask is not Agamemnon’s because modern research has dated the mask to 1550-1500 BCE, which is 300 years before Agamemnon would have lived.
Grave Circle A
Grave Circle A is an extensive cemetery of the Middle Helladic and the early Late Helladic period, which spread west of the citadel. It was used for royal burials exclusively during the 16th century BC. It contained six shaft graves (I-VI), five of which were excavated by H. Schliemann in 1876 and one by P. Stamatakis in the following year. Marked with stone stelai, the graves contained inhumations of family members, luxury grave goods, etc that are on view at the National Archaeological Museum in Athens. Initially, Grave Circle A lays extra muros. Around 1250 BC, however, and with the extension of the cyclopean wall westwards, the royal burial ground appeared within the area of the citadel. The construction of a circular enclosure enhanced the structure.
What is the Helladic Period in Ancient Greece? The Helladic period is an archaeological term used to describe the culture of mainland Greece during the Copper and Bronze Ages, from around 3200–1050 BC. It's divided into three phases: Early, Middle, and Late Helladic. The Late Helladic period is also known as the Mycenaean period.
Gold iron ritual weapons found in grave IV, circle A, Mycenae 16th BCE
Some Excavated Buildings in the area:
1. The Pylos tholos tombs, 16th-14th centuries BC
The characteristic Mycenaean tholos tombs, with their strange beehive-shaped funerary chamber and long entrance passage, first appeared in Messenia. Two large tholos tombs (Tombs III and IV) were constructed near the palace at Pylos in the 16th century BC. Although looted, they contained many precious grave gifts, which spoke of the rulers’ wealth in this region. (There are the tholos tombs at Myrsinochori (Routsi) found in the area of Pylos, one of the early Mycenean centers in Messenia).
Submycenaean Geometric Period
Although the area of Mycenae was gradually abandoned at the end of the 13th century BC, it was inhabited in the centuries that followed. The submycenaean and protogeometric periods are represented exclusively by burials in the south slope of the Acropolis, in the area of the Tholos tomb of Clytemnestra and Grave Circle B. Evidence of the geometric period comes from a number of houses built over the ruins of the palace as well as pottery both inside and outside of the fortification wall. This fragmentary pottery is probably connected with some kind of hero cult.
Early Geometric period vases, the figure of eight shield, an ivory sphinx, some golden decorations, etc shown at the Mycenae archeological museumEarly geometric period vases displayed in the Athens museum
2. House of Columns
The most important building on the east slope of the citadel. At its northwest corner, where the main entrance was situated, are preserved the doorjambs and the threshold of the conglomerate. The house owes its name to the existence of a colonnade in its central courtyard. Destroyed in fire, the building is dated to the second half of the 13th century BC. In the basement and storerooms of this building, archeologists found commercial stirrup jars with a Linear B tablet.
3. Artisan’s Quarter
Together with the House of Columns, the Artisans’ Quarter belongs to the east wing of the palace. This building complex was almost a square in its ground plan. It had two floors with a staircase in its northwest corner. Only the foundations exist here today. The Artisans’ Quarter has two rows of rooms on both sides of a narrow courtyard with an entrance. The building is known as an artists’ workshop on the basis of excavated objects found here – unfinished ivory objects, raw materials, gold leaf, remnants of semi-precious stones, etc. It dates to the second half of the 13th century BC. It was also destroyed in the conflagration at the end of the century.
4. Great Ramp & Hellenistic Chambers
Acquiring the form of a wide monumental ramp, the sloping ascent to the top of the citadel appeared in the late 13th century BC. Paved with thin slabs of schist, it was supported by a cyclopean retaining wall. The ramp begins from the inner courtyard of the Lion Gate, follows the incline of the rock, and stops at its south end. At the end of the ramp lies a suite of four Hellenistic chambers. Their function was possibly related to the processing and dyeing of textiles, a common activity of that period.
Acropolis of Mycenae, oil jars, 14-13 BCE
5. Ramp House & House of the Warrior Vase
These two houses are situated to the south of the Grave Circle A. The Ramp House had at least two floors, but only the foundations of the ground floor have survived to today. The House of the Warrior Vase is named after a famous krater decorated with the Mycenaean warriors. The building consists of basements and storerooms as storage jars with carbonized olives and bronze vases were found inside it. Both houses have the burials of the Helladic period, indicating that this entire area was previously a part of the Prehistoric Cemetery, which occupied the west slope of the hill before the fortification walls were constructed.
6. Other houses outside the Grave Circle B.
There is another group of excavated houses that lie outside the city walls. These are the House of Shields, the House of the Oil Merchant, the House of the Sphinxes, and the West House.
Butterflies printed on ancient Greek golden disks found in Mycenae, Grave Circle A. They date to 16 BCE. A butterfly was a symbol of the soul in the ancient Greek world.The cocoon was a symbol of rebirth. The pomegranate was a symbol of bounty. Gold balances represented the weighting of the soul in the Underworld. | Photo: Veronica Winters
Fact or Myth #6: Linear A and Linear B tablets discovery
According to Wikipedia, during the second millennium BC, there were four major branches: Linear A, Linear B, Cypro-Minoan, and Cretan hieroglyphic languages.
Linear A is a writing system of the Minoans practiced between 1800 BC and -1450 BC on the island of Crete. ( the Minoan civilization preceded the Mycenean one). The Linear A script evolved into the Linear B script, which was used by the Mycenaeans as the earliest form of ancient Greek language. It’s fascinating to learn that modern archeologists and historians still can’t read the Linear A script but they can read the Linear B texts. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linear_A
The Phaistos disc is found in Crete with linear A script displayed at the museum on the island of Crete. The Phaistos disk is a round, clay tablet. It has 45 pictorial signs being arranged in different combinations forming 61 groups. These groups are separated by incised lines that might represent words. These signs were stamped into soft clay with seals arranged in a spiral on both sides of the disc. Experts don’t understand the language or this writing in relation to Cretan scripts. The repetition of some combinations of signs suggests that the inscription is either a hymn or a magical text created in the early 17th century BC!Examples of the Linear B script. The images are examples of the texts I saw in the archeological museums of Greece.
Linear B script has been proven to be the first form of Greek writing. In 1900, Arthur Evans discovered the script in the palace of Knossos in Crete, where the Myceneans lived after 1450 BC. The Linear B text wasn’t read as a language until the discovery of a large archive of clay tablets stored in the Mycenean palace at Pylos in 1939. British architect, Michael Ventris and his assistant philologist John Chadwick deciphered Linear B texts in 1952. They proved that the tablets were written in an early form of the Greek language preceding the Homeric poems.
Linear B is a syllabic script. Each symbol corresponds to a certain syllable. It consists of about 90 syllabic signs, numerals, and ideograms (every picture denotes a concept). The Palace kept its records in the form of these clay tablets, which were administrative documents, such as lists, inventory recordings, and tax forms. These ancient recordings give invaluable insight into the palace’s hierarchy, social status, professions, trade, and manufacture of goods.
Fact or Myth #7: The birthplace of Hera’s worship & a peacock
Marble Head of Hera found in the Argive Heraion. Hera was the queen of the gods, wife to Zeus, and the patroness of women, marriage, and childbirth.
THE ARGIVE HERAION, The sanctuary of Hera near Mycenae
Hera herself claims to be the protector of Argos in Iliad IV, 50–52: "The three towns I love best are Argos, Sparta and Mycenae of the broad streets".
The sanctuary of Herawas the famous, ancient cult center that lay on a low hill between Argus and Mycenae. It was probably the birthplace of the worship of Hera in ancient Greece. The first temple of Hera was built in the 7th century BC that burned to the ground in the fire. It’s said that it’s due to neglect of the priestess Chryseie in 423 BC.
The second, the Doric temple was built to honor the goddess by the architect Eupolemos of Argus about 420-410 BC. right on a terrace below the old temple. Some parts of the 5th-century temple were preserved, including lavish sculptural decorations. The depiction of the birth of Zeus decorated the pediment of the east side of the temple. The Gigantomachy decorated the metopes of the same side. The Trojan War cycle themes dominated the west side of the temple. The west pediment had a representation of the Sack of Troy. The metopes of this side depicted the Trojan Amazonomachy. There were also some lion-shaped water spouts, relief palmettes, tendrils, and cuckoos, the bird answered to the goddess.
The colossal gold and ivory cult statue of Hera that had stood inside the temple was the work of the Argive sculptor Polydoitas. Its form is known from the depictions on coins of Argos issued in the 2nd century AD and from the descriptions of the travel writer Pausanias. * From the description in the museum in Athens.
The Peacock in Greek Mythology
The peacock was a sacred bird to Hera, Hera became jealous when Zeus would spend time with one of his many mistresses, and recruited Argus to watch her with his hundred eyes. (According to Ovid, Argus had a hundred eyes). When Argus got killed, Hera set his eyes on the peacock's tail to immortalize him. In another version of this myth, Hera turned Argus into a peacock. This bird pulled her chariot in honor of his faith to her. Juno, Roman goddess has similar to Hera status and myth.
Other fun facts about the Mycenean world:
1. The use of Seals
Seals appeared in the Aegean area in the Early Bronze Age (3rd millennium BC). They had a long history of use in the advanced administrative systems of the Near Eastern cultures. Their widespread, administrative use reaches its apex in the Minoan palaces.
The microscopic engraved stones and the seal rings were true works of art that were used as jewelry, votive offerings, and amulets. The seals were used alone and in combination with the clay sealings for many years, confirming the existence of goods quality control. People who owned and used them were representatives of the upper class or other authority. Although the Mycenaeans were influenced by Minoan iconography, they used the seals primarily as objects of authority, while their contribution to the central administrative system was supplementary to the clay tablets. Their rich iconographic repertoire provides valuable information concerning religious convictions, the administrative framework and the social structure. * From the museum in Heraklion, Crete
2. The status of Women in the Mycenaean World
Women’s role in the Mycenaean world is suggested through iconography, precious and household objects, and the Linear B tablets. Many skills in the domestic economy that included special skills like textile-making and corn grinding belonged to slave women or female-tied workers.
There are many Linear B symbols talking about the textiles dying. The fabric was wool of different weights, to purple-red color. People worked in different stages making fabric, having separate professions for each step of the process.
The upper-class women were involved in royal activities that included the creation of personal, refined adornment pieces. The goddesses wore ornate Minoan dresses. The female priestesses played an important role in religious activities that gave them special social status.
The vast majority of this information comes from the local museum & notes placed along the route in the archeological site of Mycenae, Greece that I visited in 2024. I also used some Google to write the summary of the Trojan war and alike. If you’d like to explore other fascinating archeological sites of Greece, visit the links below as I explore the archeology and art of Delphi, Holy Meteora and more.
Greek art styles
Greek art is generally divided into four major periods, each with distinct styles and characteristics:
Geometric Period (900 – 700 BCE):
Emerging from the Greek Dark Ages, Geometric art is characterized by its focus on geometric patterns and stylized figures.
Pottery decoration is prominent, featuring abstract motifs like meanders, triangles, and swastikas.
Human and animal figures are depicted in a simplified, geometric manner.
Archaic Period (700 – 480 BCE):
This period witnessed a shift towards more naturalistic depictions.
Sculptors began carving figures in the nude, adhering to a rigid and idealized form known as the Archaic smile.
Pottery decoration continued to evolve, with the introduction of the black-figure technique where figures are painted in black silhouette against a red background.
Classical Period (480 – 323 BCE):
Considered the pinnacle of Greek art, the Classical period emphasized balance, proportion, and realism.
Human figures were depicted in more natural poses with a focus on ideal beauty and perfect anatomy.
The red-figure technique dominated pottery decoration, with intricate details and narrative scenes.
Famous Classical sculptors like Phidias and Polyclitus developed influential styles portraying gods and heroes in a majestic and harmonious way.
Hellenistic Period (323 – 31 BCE):
Following the conquests of Alexander the Great, Hellenistic art embraced a wider range of emotions and expressions.
Sculptures became more dynamic and dramatic, capturing movement and individual personalities.
Art from this period often reflected a more theatrical and emotional style.
Genre scenes depicting everyday life gained popularity alongside mythological themes.
From Perseus to Trojan War: 7 strange myths of Mycenae that changed ancient Greece
Mycenae is the ancient archeological site near Mykines in Argolis, Greece. It’s a fascinating place to visit when you learn about its connection to the ancient Greek history. 16th century BC to be exact. It’s a place of one of the oldest known cultures in the world- the Mycenaeans. They wrote in Linear B text, the cyclopes built walls and people worshiped the Earth goddess. Perseus founded Mycenae and Agamemnon, king of Mycenae, set out against Troy in the Trojan War. Go on a journey to discover myths and art of ancient Greece.
The Eleusinian Mysteries: A Window into the History of Mystery Religions and Ancient Spirituality
Delve into the enigmatic world of the Eleusinian Mysteries! This video explores the ancient Greek rituals, their connection to the cult of Demeter and Persephone, and the potential role of psychedelic substances like the “kykeon” in inducing altered states of consciousness. We’ll examine the archaeological evidence, historical accounts, and philosophical interpretations of these sacred rites, uncovering the mysteries surrounding death, rebirth, and the pursuit of esoteric knowledge in ancient Greece Although the use of psychedelics is a forbidden topic in our society, ancient cultures have used them for centuries. Join me as I dive deep into the secrets of Demeter’s ancient cult, sacred space and architecture in Eleusis!
Delve into the enigmatic world of the Eleusinian Mysteries! This video explores the ancient Greek rituals, their connection to the cult of Demeter and Persephone, and the potential role of psychedelic substances like the “kykeon” in inducing altered states of consciousness. We’ll examine the archaeological evidence, historical accounts, and philosophical interpretations of these sacred rites, uncovering the mysteries surrounding death, rebirth, and the pursuit of esoteric knowledge in ancient Greece.
The Eleusinian Mysteries: A Journey into Altered States of Consciousness in Classical Greece
What secrets did the ancient cult of Demeter hold that still captivates us today? Join me as I dive deep into the secrets of Demeter’s ancient cult and try to uncover the Eleusinian Mysteries!
The sanctuary of Eleusis is a town about 14 miles northwest of Athens today. This place was of vast importance to the spiritual life of ancient Greeks. Pagan culture was the origin of the pre-Christian faith in ancient Greece, as thousands of people attended the Eleusian Mysteries on the fall equinox. In their secret rituals, ancient people worshiped Demeter, the goddess of nature and agriculture, with her daughter, Persephone, from 1500 BC until 392 AD. During the peak of the ceremonies, thousands of initiates would consume the kykeon drink, believed to be a mixture of wine, barley, and possibly hallucinogenic substances such as ergot ( LSD), leading to a sense of collective experience and unity among the followers of goddess Demeter. The communion with spirits was a secretive ceremony and transformative experience in relationship to death and rebirth. Aristotle said that people came to Eleusis not to learn something but to experience something. Today, the sanctuary is a small place of broken stones and columns with an adjacent museum showing some pottery, computer installations, and antiquities found during the excavations.
The temple of Eleusis & cult of Demeter, broken parts of the outer colonnade portico depicting the cult symbols of Demeter – rosette, corn, ritual vessel “kern”, and a dedicated inscription. Photo: Veronica Winters
The Eleusinian Mysteries: Historical Mysteries and the Search for Lost Knowledge
The pagan ritual of the sanctuary appeared in the Mycenaean Era (16th-13th BC) to end around the 4th century AD.
Triptolemos and Persephone, tondo of a red-figure Attic cup, ca. 470 BC–460 BC. Notice, that Triptolemos is riding a chariot with winged snakes. More on that below.
The Eleusinian Mysteries and the Cult of Demeter: A Study of Death, Rebirth, and the Afterlife in the Greek Myth of Demeter & Persephone
Lower part of a marble relief with two goddesses Demeter and Persephone, Roman, 1st–2nd century CE, Adaptation of the Great Eleusinian Relief of ca. 450–425 B.C. Pentelic marble relief found in Eleusis. The altarlike incense burner between them must be an addition of the Roman copyist. http://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/251527
Dressed in rich, tyrian purple clothes, Demeter, the goddess of the harvest, had a beautiful daughter named Persephone. One day, while picking flowers that made her unconscious, Persephone was abducted by Hades, the god of the underworld. Demeter, heartbroken and distraught, searched for her daughter in vain. As a punishment to Zeus who gave her daughter away to his brother, she neglected the earth, causing crops to wither and die. Zeus, the king of the gods, intervened and negotiated a compromise with Hades. Persephone ate the seeds of pomegranate and would spend six months of the year in the underworld with Hades and the other six months on Earth with her mother. This myth explains the cycle of seasons: when Persephone is with Demeter, the earth flourishes, representing spring and summer. When she is in the underworld, the earth becomes barren, symbolizing autumn and winter.
Marble relief of Triptolemos, Demeter and Persephone. Archaeological Museum of Eleusis, Greece. | Photo: Veronica Winters
The winged serpent or snake
The term “Ophis Pterotos” (Ὄφις Πτερωτός) literally translates to “Winged Serpent” in ancient Greek. In ancient Greek myths we can see some chariots run by the snakes (Medea in a chariot, Cleveland Museum of Art) or Triptolemos riding a winged snake chariot here.
Some scholars suggest that the Winged Serpent was more of a philosophical and mystical concept rather than a specific mythological beast. It embodied ideas of wisdom, transformation, and the ability to transcend physical limitations – much like the snake’s ability to shed its skin and seemingly be reborn. The winged snake represented divine wisdom, transformation, immortality and transcendence. It signified the connection between earthly and divine realms, which makes a lot of sense in terms of the Eleusian Mysteries.
The snake also associated with mystical and philosophical concepts, being depicted in the caduceus of Hermes (the herald’s wand with two intertwined snakes) and connected to concepts of healing and regeneration as Asclepius (the god of medicine) was often depicted with a snake. Influenced by ancient Greek culture, the Romans copied and adopted art, symbols and myths. In Roman times the snake symbol represented Immortality. We can view many golden bracelets in the shape of a snake in archeological museums.
http://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/254270 : Attributed to the Niobid Painter, Terracotta hydria: kalpis (water jar), ca. 460-450 B.C., Terracotta, H. 10 15/16 in. (27.7 cm); diameter 8 7/8 in. (22.6 cm); width with handles 10 15/16 in. (27.8 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Rogers Fund, 1941 (41.162.98) The Niobid Painter is famous for depictions of mythological scenes on large pots. In this smaller pot, the artist depicts Triptolemos dispatched by the goddess Demeter, the patroness of fertility and agriculture, and her daughter, Persephone, to teach the cultivation of grain to humanity. Winged chariot is run by snakes.
The Eleusinian Mysteries: Historical Mysteries and the Search for Lost Knowledge:
While there are no direct sources about the secrets behind the Eleusian Mysteries, several writers mention the secrecy of rites, like the Homeric Hymn to Demeter. It’s a recording of Persephone’s abduction by Pluto and how Demeter searched for her daughter. A poem of about 500 verses, titled the Homeric Hymn to Demeter, was recorded around 600 BC. Sophocles, Herodotus, Aristophanes, and Plutarch, mention the Eleusinian Mysteries, often alluding to their transformative power and the sacred knowledge imparted to initiates. Philosophers like Plato and Aristotle also reference the Mysteries.
“Ancient Greeks had no holy books. Religion was taught through the act of worship. The essence of the Mysteries was individual initiation once in a lifetime. Those who chose to participate in the process were guaranteed happiness after death. The secretive nature of the mystery has resonated with metaphysical trends from Antiquity to the Renaissance and from Romanticism to the New Age movements.” – The Archaeological Museum of Elefsina
Ten marble fragments of the Great Eleusinian Relief, Roman copy of Greek original, 27 BCE–14 CE . The ten fragments have been set into a cast of the original relief. The original marble relief was unearthed at the site of the Eleusinian mysteries. There are several existing Roman copies of this relief. One of the copies is displayed in a dark interior space of the archeological museum in Eleusis.
Here the goddess of agriculture, Demeter, holds a scepter and stands on the left. She’s dressed in classical Greek clothing – peplos and himation (cloak). Her daughter, Persephone, is on the right of the relief. According to Greek myth, she is the wife of Hades, the god of the underworld. She wears a chiton and himation. Both goddesses reach out to a nude boy, Triptolemos, who was a student of Demeter and the first man to learn the mystic rites, rituals, and grain production. https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/248899
Triptolemos | http://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/254912 : Attributed to the Troilos Painter, Terracotta hydria (water jar), ca. 490 B.C., Terracotta, H. 14 1/16 in. (35.7 cm); diameter mouth 6 in. (15.3 cm); diameter foot 5 1/4 in. (13.3 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Fletcher Fund, 1956 (56.171.53)
Demeter was worshiped for roughly 2000 years celebrating life as over 60% of Greeks died from disease, violence, slavery, and hardship. Nearly half of the children died before the age of 5. Greeks asked Gods for good harvests to survive. Therefore, Triptolemos was the messenger of the goddess helping people grow grain. He was often shown as an adult riding a winged chariot on Athenian vases as you can see here.
The image of a Greek Sphinx is depicted on a funerary vase found in Eleusis. Sphinxes were the symbolic guardians of the underworld and vases contained bones of children who probably died because of famine in Eleusis. Eleusis Museum, Photo: Veronica Winters
The Archeology of the Eleusinian Mysteries: A Study of Sacred Space and Ritual
In Mycenaean Eleusis (16th-13th BC), grave offerings were made of precious metals that indicated the deceased’s status. These were bronze weapons and tools, or silver and gold jewelry. In contrast, in the Mycenaean world, schematic figurines with arms folded or raised (Ф – type or Ψ – type) are found in abundance. They are considered symbols of a protective female deity or as children’s toys.
Examples of the Mycenaean era excavations
The Antiquarian Society of Dilettanti made the first scientific investigations of the Eleusinian Sanctuary during Ottoman rule. Sir William Gell and the architects John Peter Grandy and Francis Redford led an expedition to Eleusis in 1812 and found the remains of the Telestirion.
Leadership & support of the Sanctuary of Eleusis in ancient Greece: Athens’ leaders supported its relationship with the Eleusinian Sanctuary for economic and political reasons and used the prestige of the Eleusinian Mysteries in their diplomacy. During the Roman period, the Sanctuary emerged as a religious and political center of universal importance. The Roman emperors, who were initiated into the Eleusinian Mysteries, favored the Sanctuary greatly. For instance, during the reign of Hadrian, Antoninus the Pious, and Marcus Aurelius, the sanctuary experienced a wave of new construction with monumental architecture, including the Great Propylaia, triumphal arches, Temple of Propylaia Artemis, and paved entrance courtyard with the fountain.
The end: With the arrival of Christianity and the decree issuance of Emperor Theodosius I, in 392 AD, the worship of Goddess Demeter ceased to exist with a permanent closing of the sanctuary of Eleusis. The hordes of Alaric, in 395 AD, leveled it to the ground and killed the last Hierophant (priest) there.
The Eleusinian Mysteries: Did the Ancient Greeks Use Psychedelics to Achieve Transcendence in sacred ceremonies of the cult of goddess Demeter?
You died before you died and so didn’t die.
According to the museum, the beginning of the cult or worship emerged in the late geometric period. The oracle of Delphi ordered the Athenians to offer sacrifices to the goddess Demeter after a great famine spread throughout Greece in the 8th century BC. The sacrifice would appease the goddess to make the land fertile again. This oracle was given during the 5th Olympiad (760 BC).
Sacred ceremonies or the Eleusinian Mysteries were a multi-day, series of initiations into the cult of Demeter and Persephone that took place in absolute secrecy. It was the culminating experience of a lifetime. The first initiation began in Athens and then the procession continued in Eleusis through the Sacred Way as a journey. People of all classes participated in it including Emperors, free men, prostitutes, and slave men. ThisEleusinianRoad is an ancient road that began at the Sacred Gate of the Athenian wall and ended at the sanctuary in Eleusis. The religious procession to Eleusis used this road decorated with gardens, fruit trees, country shrines, altars, cemeteries, and funerary monuments set along the ancient path. They passed through a purposefully narrow bridge as a symbolic space between worlds of life and death.
Painted terracotta votive plaque, Attic work by a painter named Ninion, mid-4th century CE, discovered at the sanctuary of Eleusis. Image:wikimedia commons
The figures sit in two rows. At the top, Demeter is seated on the “secret cist”. Persephone stands holding a torch and the torchbearer Iakchos is located below, welcoming the procession of initiates, men and women, who arrive at the sanctuary. In the middle of the lower row, the omphalos adorned with a crown and two crossed bakchoi, symbols of the ritual mysteries. The third deity, at the bottom right, is not identified with certainty. The pediment depicts the participants of the pannychis, the night feast, where a flute player, on the left, accompanies them. All the participants are crowned and hold flowering branches and sticks, while the women have the kernos, the sacred vessel, fixed on their heads. National Archaeological Museum, Athens.
The Role of Sacred Plants in the Eleusinian Mysteries: A Psychedelic Perspective
The Eleusian Mysteries consisted of a pagan ritual with the body’s purification, procession to the Telesterion, consumption of kykeon, and profound revelations following afterward.
Painted terracotta votive plaque, Ninion, mid-4th century CE, discovered at the sanctuary of Eleusis. The women (priestesses?) have the kernos, the sacred vessel, fixed on their heads.
The use of psychoactive substances is a debatable subject because there is no direct archeological evidence of the use. However, the magic potion seems to be the hidden truth behind the secret rites. It’s based on the extensive research of several scholars including Carl Ruck, an American professor who researched entheogens’ role in mythology and religion and first shared his research in a book “The Road to Eleusis” in 1978. Some psychoactive plants are known for inducing altered states of consciousness, letting people experience a fundamental change in psychic to communicate with God.
“The Road to Eleusis” book discusses psychoactive entheogens and the original meaning of some ancient Greek myths and gods, especially Dionysus, the God of Wine. The authors narrate the hypothesis of a magic drink potion recipe that could have contained ash mixed with other ingredients. The drink had a secret formula but was fairly easy to make every year regardless of the harvest. There is a chapter in this book dedicated to a narration of a beautiful Hymn to Demeter, an anonymous poem from the 7th century BC. In this poem, we learn about Persephone picking flowers in the fields of Nisa before the abduction. The companion of the maiden was named Pharmacia, with the name’s translation as ‘the use of drugs’. In the book, the authors think that Persephone had a drug-induced seizure during the abduction by Hades.
In his book, “The Immortality Key”, Brian Muraresku shares his research about sacred beverages consumed during the Eulesian mysteries. He studied ancient pots that revealed traces of hallucinogenic substances like ergot (LSD) in beer potions. Fragments of ergot were discovered in a temple and within the dental calculus of an individual, suggesting its consumption.
Kernos or kernoi (in plural) are ritual vessels, images are from the archeological site in Eleusis. The kernos is a terracotta vessel with many little bowls surrounding it. A concoction of herbs, wheat, olive oil, and other ingredients was inside it to taste. A lamp probably topped the vessel. The priestesses carried these ritual vessels atop their heads during the procession at the Eleusinian Mysteries as we can see in a plaque above.
Some scholars believe that a drink called kykeon, which was consumed by the initiates, contained psychoactive ingredients, which may have been made from barley or rye that was infected with ergot, a fungus that produces lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD). It was a carefully balanced brew of alcohol, herbs, spices, and ergot. Other possible ingredients include wild mushrooms or opium poppies. Only women prepared the drink, which gave the users transcendent experiences.
Kykeon: A drink consumed by initiates, thought to contain psychoactive ingredients. Ergot: A fungus that grows on grains, containing LSD-like alkaloids. Fragments of ergot have been found in a temple dedicated to the Eleusinian goddesses, providing evidence for its potential use. Psilocybin Mushrooms: Some scholars speculate that these mushrooms were used due to their hallucinogenic properties.
The descriptions of the Mysteries by ancient authors suggest that the initiates experienced visions and altered states of consciousness during the Eleusinian Mysteries. However, plant medicine was not limited to the Eleusinian Mysteries. Ancient Greeks used a variety of substances for medicinal, religious, and recreational purposes. While some drank a holy beer, others consumed the holy wine of Dionysus to become one with the god in ancient Greece. These substances included opium poppy, cannabis, and wine.
In the book The Road to Eleusis, the authors describe the original meaning of wine and the god Dyonasis and how different formulas for the dilution of wine with water had varied effects on people. The word “drunkenness” in Greek meant a state of complete Madness, and the authors think that the drinks contained psychotropic compounds mixed with water, herbs, and spices.
What is ergot?
Ergot is a fungal growth that primarily affects rye and other cereal grasses. Ergot appears as a dark, elongated, hard structure called a sclerotium that replaces the grain (kernel) of rye, wheat, barley, and other grasses. These sclerotia are:
Dark purple to black in color
Hard and dense
Elongated and curved, often described as “horn-like”
Typically about 1-2 centimeters long
Somewhat similar in shape to a narrow, blackened grain of the host plant
In the field, an infected grain head will look abnormal, with these dark, hardened ergot bodies replacing some or many of the normal grains. During harvest, these ergot bodies can be mixed in with the grain, making them a potential health hazard if not carefully removed.
The fungus (Claviceps purpurea) is particularly notorious because the ergot sclerotia contains powerful alkaloids that can be extremely toxic to humans and animals if consumed. Historically, ergot poisoning (called ergotism) caused serious health problems and even contributed to social upheavals in medieval Europe when contaminated rye bread caused widespread illness. Farmers and agricultural experts carefully monitor crops for signs of ergot, as its presence can render an entire grain harvest unusable and potentially dangerous.
A Window into the History of Mystery Religion, Mysticism and Ancient Spirituality in Ancient Greece: The Greek Magical Papyri
The Greek Magical Papyri is a collection of ancient spells and rituals that were probably combined with natural plants written down in the papyri to create ‘magic’ and let people enter the hidden world of altered reality. This was a literal “magician book”. Some herbs like wormwood (contained in the 19th-century French absinthe) and nightshade were probably mixed into incense or ink to inhale and make a potent spell using the book. It makes me think of fairy tales with Baba Yaga and powerful magicians stirring green liquids in their pots and cauldrons.
Discovered in Egypt, the Greek Magical Papyri are a collection of ancient texts, primarily written in Greek, that contain a variety of magical spells, incantations, and rituals. These papyri, dating from the 100s BCE to the 400s CE, offer a glimpse into the mystical and religious beliefs of the Greco-Roman world. The papyri include spells for love, wealth, health, protection, and harm. They also contain hymns for various deities, incantations for summoning spirits, and astral magic and theurgy rituals. The texts reflect a syncretistic blend of Greek, Egyptian, and other religious traditions. They incorporate elements from Greek mythology, Egyptian deities, and other magical systems. Many spells and rituals are intended for practical purposes, such as healing the sick, driving away evil spirits, or gaining wealth. Some texts describe theurgical practices, involving direct communication with divine beings through mystical experiences and rituals. Astrology plays a significant role in many magical practices, with the alignment of celestial bodies considered crucial for successful spells and rituals.
The Greek Magical Papyri list a wide variety of plants used in their spells and rituals. Here are some of the plants that are commonly mentioned:
Peony: Often used in love spells and potions. Lily: Associated with beauty, love, and fertility. Laurel: Symbolizing victory, purification, and prophetic power. Olive: Connected to peace, wisdom, and healing. Poppy: Associated with sleep, death, and dreams. Rue: Used for protection, purification, and healing. Thyme: Associated with courage, strength, and purification. Mint: Used for purification, healing, and love magic. Garlic: A powerful protective herb, often used to ward off evil spirits. Onion: Associated with fertility, protection, and healing. Fig: Symbolizing abundance, prosperity, and fertility. Pomegranate: Connected to fertility, rebirth, and the underworld.
Toxic and sometimes fatal, Mandrake was used as an anesthetic, and pain reliever that treated insomnia and other ailments. Due to its human-like root shape, the mandrake was often associated with fertility, love, and protection. It was used in love potions, fertility charms, and protective amulets.
Wormwood, or Artemisia absinthium, was used to enhance the spells. Due to its bitter taste and strong aroma, wormwood was often associated with protection and purification. It was used in spells and rituals to ward off evil spirits, induce visions, and enhance psychic abilities. It was burned as incense to purify spaces and connect with the divine.
Toxic Henbane was used to relieve pain, induce sleep, and calm anxiety. It was also employed in the treatment of mental disorders. Henbane was considered a powerful hallucinogenic and was used in divination and spiritual practices. It was also used in potions and spells for love, protection, and harm.
Nightshade plants, particularly Atropa belladonna (deadly nightshade) were deadly if misused. Yet, the plant’s alkaloids were applied to alleviate pain, particularly during childbirth and surgery. It could also induce sleep and calm anxiety. The plant’s psychoactive properties were exploited in various rituals and spiritual practices. The plant’s potent alkaloids can cause a range of symptoms, including hallucinations, delirium, and even death.
Ancient Greeks used opium to alleviate suffering from various ailments, like a lack of sleep, to calm anxiety, and to treat diarrhea. Opium was likely used in religious ceremonies, particularly those associated with the Eleusinian Mysteries, where it may have been ingested to induce altered states of consciousness, to facilitate prophetic dreams and visions.
The Greek Magical Papyri & its spells
It’s filled with a variety of spells, each designed for a specific purpose. Some examples include:
Love Spells:
Love Charm for Immediate Effect: This spell involves writing holy names with the blood of a black donkey on a seashell and reciting a formula to attract a specific person.
Eternal Love Spell: This spell, invoking the god Iabo, uses magical words and symbols to secure the eternal love of a woman.
Protection Spells:
Protection Against Enemies: This spell involves writing a specific formula on a piece of papyrus and wearing it as an amulet.
Protection from Evil Spirits: This spell involves burning incense and reciting specific incantations to ward off evil spirits.
Divination Spells:
Dream Incubation: This spell involves specific rituals and prayers to induce prophetic dreams.
Scrying: This spell involves gazing into a reflective surface, such as water or a mirror, to receive visions and messages from the divine.
Healing Spells:
Healing Wounds: This spell involves applying a specific ointment to the wound and reciting a healing incantation.
Curing Illness: This spell involves specific rituals and the use of herbs and amulets to cure various illnesses.
The benefits of psychedelics
Today, psychedelics have a negative connotation because they fall under the general umbrella of ‘drug use’ and are considered to be hallucinogens. However, different ancient cultures have used various plant medicines for centuries to heal the soul, elevate fears of death, and provide a transformative experience that lasts a lifetime. While plant medicine is not for schizophrenic minds, it’s far from being a mere hallucination. Rather, it’s a powerful, non-addictive substance that can cure your soul by traveling deep inside yourself into a parallel reality where you learn who you truly are.
The Architecture of the Eleusinian Mysteries: A Study of Sacred Space and Ritual
Most of the following descriptions come from the grounds & museum at the archeological site of Eleusis. I fixed the text for better English.
The Telesterion of Eleusis: Exploring the Architectural Features of a Sacred Initiation Site
The most significant structure within the Sanctuary was the Telesterion, a large, underground hall where the initiates would gather for the final and most sacred part of the ritual. The Telesterion or the “Hall of Initiation” was designed to accommodate thousands of people, with its Doric columns, mosaic floors, and a central aisle leading to the Anaktoron, the holy chamber for sacred objects’ safekeeping. This large, underground hall gathered people to perform the most sacred rites.
The oldest excavated remains date to the Mycenaean period (1600-1100 BC) and belong to a rectangular megaroid building known as the “Megaron B.” It had two columns along the central axis and a portico with stairs on its façade. What we see today are the leftovers from the construction in the 5th century BC.
Plan of Eleusis with the Telesterion in the center. By Zde – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=55707754
In the early 6th century BC, the Solonian Telesterion with a rectangular main temple appeared in the same location. Because of the continuous growth of the reputation and worshippers at the Sanctuary in the late 6th century BC, a new building emerged at the same location. The location was always sacred to worshippers because it had been indicated by the goddess Demeter in the ancient myth. This large and richly decorated building had the name of the Telesterion of Peisistratus. It retained its features in later Greco-Roman construction periods. The architectural remains visible today relate to the Telesterion of the classical period (5th century BC), the Portico of Philo (4th century BC), and the Roman modifications (2nd century AD).
Designed by the Eleusinian architect Philo, the Portico of Philo was attached to the east façade. Built on a strong foundation, its floor was paved with Eleusinian limestone. Created in the doric order style, the building consisted of twelve columns on the façade and two on the narrow sides, of which only parts of the lower drums are preserved. In 170 AD, the Costoboci invaders burnt down the Telesterion. During the years of emperor Marcus Aurelius (161-180 AD), classical-style Telesterion was reconstructed with some extension. During the Roman period, two stairs were cut in the rock that led to an elongated square of the Upper Court, 70m long and 11,45m wide.
Visible architectural remains mainly relate to the Telesterion of the classical period (5th century BC), which the architect of the Parthenon, Ictinus planned. Due to construction difficulties and Pericles’ death, his plan was not executed to a great extent and the construction study was assigned to three architects, Coroibos, Metagenes, and Xenocles.
The classical Telesterion looked like a square hall with Doric columns. Its sides measured about 51,50m. A colonnaded porch on the East side had 12 doric columns and 8 rows of rock steps. Artificially constructed stone blocks were arranged along four sides of the hall to seat the initiates who attended the sacred enactments. 42 columns supported the building’s roof. Lighter columns were superimposed over them to reach the ceiling. The center of the roof had a raised lightwell to illuminate the interior space of the building.
View of the Sanctuary of Demeter with the Telesterion’s shape from Google EarthView of the Telesterion from the museum’s site
The Anactoron (The House of God), a small, rectangular space dedicated to the safekeeping of sacred cult objects was located in the hall’s center. Only the highest priest, the so-called Hierophant could enter this space to reveal the holy objects to the initiates during the night of the Eleusian Mysteries. The Hierophant’s throne was situated outside the entrance to the Anactoron. The worshippers also gathered in the Sacred Court that extended along the Telesterion’s three sides. It had altars and numerous dedications to participate in the sacred rites.
The initiates observed the law of silence throughout antiquity, which forbade them from revealing what happened in the Telesterion. Testimonies of the secretive performances are vague but reveal reenactments, drama, and mystical indoctrination. The main initiation occurred in the Telesterion on the 6th & 7th days of the mysterious nights. Only those initiated the previous year could become supervisors (epoptes). The 8th day was dedicated to libations with liquid offerings in ritual vessels for the underworld gods and the dead. The return was on the 9th day. The initiates would return home, scattered into smaller groups.
Funerary Proto-Attic Amphora with a depiction of the blinding of the cyclops Polyphemus by Odysseus and his companions, 670-660 BCE, Eleusis, Veronica Winters art blog
The Roman Court of Eleusis
The spacious, square court stood in front of the main entrance of the Eleusian sanctuary. Paved with large marble rectangular slabs, it was 65m long by 40m wide. The Sacred Way ended at the court area. The preserved foundations of a semicircular building formed the Exedra from where the dignitaries of the Sanctuary attended the arrival of the worshippers. The Roman court was bordered by a portico, a fountain, and a triumphal arch on its East side. The second triumphal arch stood on the West side. An L-shaped portico bordered the rest of the west side of the court. High-quality materials and construction of the Roman court indicate general oversight of the Roman Emperor Hadrian (117-138 AD). The construction program continued under Antoninus Pius (138-161 AD) and was completed under Marcus Aurelius (161-180 AD).
The wall of Lycurgus is a wall associated with the Athenian logographer Lycurgus, who is said to have worked to improve the security and splendor of Athens. However, the construction of the Eleusis enclosurewall predates Lycurgus’s time and was built in the 4th century BC. Located farther away from the temple of Demeter, this new, 2.55-meter thick, defense wall was built with the so-called isodomic building masonry system imitating the earlier Periclean wall. It consisted of two-colored stones, greyish-blue Eleusinian limestone, and yellow-red blocks. It had two towers, a round one and a square tower, protecting the main entrance to the sanctuary from the sea.
The Little Propylaea of Eleusis
Propylaea is the name given to monumental gates or entranceways to a temple or religious complex. It acts as a symbolic partition between the secular and spiritual parts of a city.
19th-century drawing of propylaea in Athens. Image in public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=156815
The main entrance to the Sanctuary of Eleusis consisted of a monumental gateway that was rebuilt over the earlier version of the North Gate. When the Greater Propylaea was constructed as the main entrance, the Gateway became the Lesser Propylaea or the inner entrance to the Sanctuary. According to a Latin inscription on its architrave, a Roman consul Appius Claudius Pulcher dedicated it to the goddesses Demeter and Persephone in 54 BC.
The edifice consisted of two colonnades of porticoes. They were separated by a transverse wall with a double door that opened into the inner portico. Two other preserved, parallel furrows probably enabled rainwater drainage. The outer portico had an interesting layout. The pediment, door pilasters, and two columns formed the gate. The Corinthian columns and pilasters had elaborate decorations of winged animals, lions, and bulls. The cult symbols of Demeter, like wheat rosettes and flowers decorated spaces between the columns and the pediment.
The inner portico had a flat coffered ceiling, supported by two monumental, pentelic Caryatids. One is on display in the Archaeological Museum of Eleusis. At the same time, the other one was stolen by the English traveler Edward Clark and transported to Cambridge in 1812, where it still stands today. Both statues depict Maidens who carry the mystic cist on their heads. It’s the cylindrical container with the sacred, cult objects they had in a ritual. They were also decorated with carved reliefs -symbols of the cult of Demeter. More on it below.
The Architecture of the Eleusinian Mysteries: the Caryatid
Caryatid’s face, Eleusis
Who is Caryatid?
Caryatid is a sculpted female figure used as an architectural support, taking the place of a column or pillar to hold up an entablature. The term “caryatid” comes from the Greek word “Karyatis,” which refers to the women of the ancient town of Caryae. The most famous example of caryatids can be found on the south porch of the Erechtheion on the Acropolis in Athens, created during the Classical Greek period around 421-417 BCE.
Caryatids found on the south porch of the Erechtheion on the Acropolis in Athens
The Mythology of Caryatid
The mythology behind these figures is somewhat disputed. One interpretation is that they represent the women of Caryae, a town that sided with the Persians during the Persian Wars. As punishment, the women were forced into slavery and forced to carry heavy burdens. The caryatids, then, would symbolize this punishment, bearing the weight of the building’s entablature.
However, another interpretation suggests that the caryatids represent priestesses of Artemis Caryatis, the goddess associated with the walnut tree. This interpretation is supported by the presence of a sanctuary of Artemis Caryatis in the town of Caryae.
In Roman times, the two colossal Caryatids adorned the Little Propylaia decoration. The Caryatid was about three times the size of a man. She carried a cylindrical box on her head, a “cyst,” decorated with ears of corn, rosettes, and ritual vessels named “kerns.” For the villagers of Elefsina, she was the “saint Demeter who protected their land and gave them a good harvest.”
Views of one Caryatid left in Eleusis
The theft of the Caryatid of Eleusis
Eleusis continued its existence after a formal, forced closure of its grounds by the Byzantine emperors. A Frankish tower that existed until 1953 illustrates the passage of Franks through Eleusis. The Venetians also went through Eleusis as they wanted to take a large statue of Koris but left it in place there. This statue appears in the plans of the British George Wheler, who visited the Sanctuary of Demeter in 1676 to describe the desolated space. In 1801, another British traveler, ED Clarke comes to Eleusis and decides to take the statue of the Maiden with him. ED Clarke loaded one of them on his ship that sank off the coast of England. The statue was recovered and placed in the Public Library in the Fitzwilliam Museum of Cambridge in 1803.
Sphinxes Decorations on Tombs in Eleusis | Veronica Winters Art Blog
How Colorful Clothes Exhibited Fashion, Status, & Symbolism in Ancient Greece
Because of the secrecy of the ceremony, it’s difficult to say what the ancient Greeks wore exactly during the rites. However, it’s reasonable to think that clothing also had some spiritual significance in the Eleusinian Mysteries, as the initiates probably wore ceremonial, colored robes with patterns, jewelry, and wreaths, as we see in this terracotta plaque found in Eleusis. The garments look a lot more decorative and refined than usual Greek outerwear. Leaf tiaras and crowns top the heads of both men and women.
Other statues exhibited in the museum:
The Eleusinian sculptures in the Archeological Museum show classical Greek costumes -himation (off-one shoulder and draped around cloak) and chiton (toga-like dress).
Statue of Antinoos, (on the left) 2nd C. AD. Antinoos was a beautiful youth and probably a lover of the emperor Hadrian (117-138 AD). He drowned in the Nile barely reaching adulthood, and Hadrian deified him, flooding the empire with statues, portraits, and even temples dedicated to the handsome youth.
Statue of Asclepius, (center) 320 BC. The Healer God or the god of health and medicine. It was found north of the Sanctuary of Demeter and Kore, where there was presumably a shrine of the god.
Clothing as a symbol of status in ancient Greece:
Attributed to the Nikon Painter, Terracotta lekythos (oil flask), ca. 460? -450 B.C., Terracotta, H. 15 in. (38.1 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Leon Pomerance, 1953 (53.224)
In general, though, ancient Greeks wore four layers or types of clothing depending on their sex and event. The Peplos, Chiton, Himation, and the Chlamys. They didn’t wear trousers or underwear. You can see a well-written summary with illustrations and vases here, at the Art Institute of Chicago, and here, at the Met.
The Charioteer, closeup of a bronze sculpture of a young man, Classical period, 478 BC, 1,82m in height, Delphi.
I think ancient Greek clothing was beautiful, elegant, and functional, considering they probably exercised in short chitons at the gymnasium. Sculptures of men dressed in the chitons remind me of the Doric columns from the temples of ancient Greece. Dress code and fabric colors reflected social and economic status, and this book reconstructs the social meanings attached to the dressed body in ancient Greece: Body, Dress, and Identity in Ancient Greece, by Mireille M. Lee.
Here are some of the most common garments in ancient Greece:
Statue of a goddess, probably Aphrodite, 4th century BCE, Athens. She is dressed in peplos and himation. THE CULT OF APHRODITE AT DAΡΗΝΙ
Aphrodite was the daughter of Zeus and Dione, the most beautiful goddess who dwelt on Mount Olympus. She was not only the goddess of Love and Beauty, but also the patron deity of the Demos (Aphrodite Pandemos), and her chthonic character was connected to the death and rebirth of nature and human beings. Her children were the winged god Eros (who often accompanies her), Himeros and Pothos, Phobos and Deimos, Harmonos and Rhodos.
The most important sanctuary of Aphrodite in Attica was at Daphni, located to the right of the Sacred Way leading to Eleusis. In this and similar sanctuaries in Athens (on the north side of the Acropolis), Aphrodite was worshipped as the goddess of fertility and rebirth of nature -capacities that were strengthened by the presence of her young son, Eros. The sanctuary at Daphni existed from the second half of the 5th century BC to the Roman period.
The most important find from the excavation of the goddess’s sanctuary at Daphni is the torso of Aphrodite, which showed her leaning with her elbow on a tree trunk. Statuettes of Aphrodite alone or as a group with Eros were placed in the niches in the rock of the sanctuary. In addition, other votive relief figurines of doves were made for the sanctuary.
For Women:
Peplos: A rectangular piece of cloth, one-size-fits-all, draped over the body, fastened with brooches at the shoulders. It was often worn by married women and was associated with modesty and respectability. The fabric was wool. It was replaced by the chiton later on.
Chiton: A garment similar to a tunic, often worn underneath the peplos. It could be sleeveless or have short sleeves, belted. The fabric was fine linen, but it was often made of silk for women. At first, only men wore it long but eventually, this style became popular among women, while men shortened their chitons. By the 4th century BC, the ‘luxury’ chitons became elaborate with patterns and decorations.
Himation: A large rectangular cloak that could be draped around the body and off one shoulder worn over the chiton. Made of wool, it was often used for warmth or as a symbol of status.
Daochos monument with Agias, Delphi illustrates ancient Greek styles of clothing
For Men:
Chiton: Similar to the women’s chiton, but often shorter and more fitted. It could be worn alone or under a himation.
Himation: A large rectangular cloak, made of wool, similar to the one worn by women. It could be draped diagonally off a shoulder and wrapped around the body. Men wore it over the chiton or nude body.
Chlamys: A shorter, more rectangular cloak reserved for men only. It was often worn by young men, especially soldiers because it helped them in battles. It was typically fastened with a brooch at the shoulder. In late antiquity, the chlamys changed its length, material, and status. Made of silk and precious stones decorations, the chlamys belonged to the dress code of emperors and high-ranking officials.
Attic cup: Oedipus and the Sphinx
Oedipus and the Sphinx, interior of an Attic red-figured kylix (cup or drinking vessel), c. 470 BCE; in the Gregorian Etruscan Museum, the Vatican Museums, Rome.
Fabric dyes & symbolism of color:
As you can see ancient Greeks used several types of fabric, mainly linen, wool, and silk. When we look at the images on the vases and sculptures, we think of white fabric that can represent purity. However, ancient Greeks often dyed their fabric in vibrant hues like purple, red, blue, and yellow that were costly and represented status.
Common dyes were:
Madder Root: This plant produces a vibrant red dye, often associated with passion, vitality, and courage.
Woad: This plant yielded a blue dye, symbolizing wisdom, spirituality, and the divine.
Saffron: A luxurious and expensive yellow dye, often associated with royalty, wealth, and happiness.
Kermes: This insect produced a deep red dye, similar to madder, and was also linked to passion and vitality.
Tyrian Purple: A rare and costly purple-red dye extracted from a type of sea snail, this color was reserved for the elite and symbolized wealth, power, and imperial authority.
Symbolism of Color in Ancient Greece:
White: Often associated with purity, innocence, and mourning.
Black: Symbolized death, mourning, and the underworld.
Red: Connected to passion, vitality, and courage.
Blue: Associated with wisdom, spirituality, and the divine.
Purple: Symbolized royalty, wealth, and power.
Yellow: Linked to happiness, joy, and the sun.
In conclusion:
The Eleusian Mysteries was the most significant pagan ritual of Ancient Greece. Every year, thousands of individuals participated in these secret ceremonies, in honor of Demeter and Persephone, the Greek goddesses of fertility and agriculture. We may never know the exact rituals that involved initiation, processions, and purification ceremonies to honor the cycles of life and death and to experience unity with God. We may never learn the exact formula for a magic drink of ancient Greeks. One thing is clear, what looks like a bunch of broken stones today was an important center of shamanic worship for ancient Greeks to learn about themselves by connecting to a higher power in a once-in-a-lifetime event. By feeling unity with the divine through a shared psychedelic drink, ancient Greeks had a pathway to see beyond reality, be the one with the community, and live a meaningful life.
Please share your thoughts on the mysteries of Demeter and check out my other videos on ancient Greece. nika@veronicasart.com
Before the birth of Jesus, the Ancient Greeks found salvation in their own sacraments. Sacred beverages were routinely consumed as part of the so-called Ancient Mysteries – elaborate rites that led initiates to the brink of death. The best and brightest from Athens and Rome flocked to the spiritual capital of Eleusis, where a holy beer unleashed heavenly visions for two thousand years. Others drank the holy wine of Dionysus to become one with the god. In the 1970s, renegade scholars claimed this beer and wine – the original sacraments of Western civilization – were spiked with mind-altering drugs. In recent years, vindication for the disgraced theory has been quietly mounting in the laboratory. The constantly advancing fields of archaeobotany and archaeochemistry have hinted at the enduring use of hallucinogenic drinks in antiquity. And with a single dose of psilocybin, the psychopharmacologists at Johns Hopkins and NYU are now turning self-proclaimed atheists into instant believers. But the smoking gun remains elusive. If these sacraments survived for thousands of years in our remote prehistory, from the Stone Age to the Ancient Greeks, did they also survive into the age of Jesus? Was the Eucharist of the earliest Christians, in fact, a psychedelic Eucharist? The Immortality Key reconstructs the suppressed history of women consecrating a forbidden, drugged Eucharist that was later banned by the Church Fathers. Women were then targeted as witches during the Inquisition when Europe’s sacred pharmacology largely disappeared.
the road to Eleusis unveiling the secret of the mysteries:
the Eleusinian Mysteries were a series of secret rituals and initiations in honor of the goddesses Demeter and Persephone for almost 2000 years. The book’s first release in 1978 showed the work of three researchers—a mycologist, chemist, and historian—who revealed the sacred potion use during the rites. Infused with a psychoactive entheogen, the drink reframed modern understanding of the rites and religion in general. The authors share insights on experiential religious practices, perspectives on the healing potential of psychedelics, and how—and why—the secrets of the Mysteries were deliberately concealed. This 30th-anniversary edition has a renewed exploration of the chemical findings by Peter Webster turning our knowledge of the past and religious history upside down.
We spent two full days in the Louvre or about 15 hours, walking its lavish interior space filled with priceless art, jewelry, ancient sculpture, and furniture. The length of this famous art museum is remarkable. The Louvre covers about 60,600 square meters. Just imagine walking 652,000 square feet! The Louvre’s art collection is even more impressive as this top art museum houses over 35,000 works of art, spanning from ancient Egypt to 19th-century art. Yes, the Louvre is most famous for the Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo, Michelangelo’s Dying Slave, Canova’s sculptures, David’s paintings, and the Winged Victory of Samothrace. However, the palace displays so many other incredible pieces of art that I’d stay there for weeks to sketch and paint from this famous art if I could.
History of the Louvre as a Royal Palace:
Let’s look at the history of the Louvre Palace before it became a museum. Construction began on a fortified castle on the right bank of the Seine River in Paris in the 12th century. In the 16th Century, King Francis I (1515-1547) transformed the castle into a luxurious royal residence, inspired by Italian Renaissance architecture. The king hired Leonardo to be his court artist in the last decade of the artist’s life and commissioned the Mona Lisa, among other pieces. (The famous Italian artist da Vinci passed away in France, and that’s why the Mona Lisa is in the Louvre, not Italy). When Louis XIV moved the royal court to Versailles in the 17th century, he left the Louvre as a royal palace for occasional visits and storage of art collections.
During the French Revolution in 1793, the Louvre transformed into an art museum as it was declared a “museum of the people.” In the 19th Century, Napoleon Bonaparte expanded the Louvre’s collection through conquests and purchases, making it one of the world’s largest and most prestigious art museums. Emperor of France from 1800 to 1814, made significant expansions of the art collections. A century later, the Louvre underwent extensive renovations and expansions under Georges-Henri Rivière, director of the Louvre from 1887 to 1908. The construction of the famous glass pyramid by architect I.M. Pei happened in 1989. https://www.louvre.fr/en/explore/the-palace
Athena/Minerva, the Louvre. Photo: Veronica Winters
The Louvre consists of several architectural styles present in the museum:
The earliest parts of the Louvre were constructed in the Gothic style (12th-16th centuries) with pointed arches, ribbed vaults, and stained glass windows. The oldest section of the museum, known as the “Old Louvre,” exhibits Gothic architectural elements.
King Francis I’s reign marked a significant shift toward the Renaissance style, inspired by Italian architecture in the 16th-17th centuries. The Renaissance portion of the Louvre features symmetrical facades, columns, and ornamentation. (Example: The Cour Napoléon, a central courtyard, showcases Renaissance architecture.) The 18th century saw a revival of classical architecture, characterized by symmetry, proportion, and the use of Greek and Roman motifs, which is called Neoclassical style. ( Example: The Denon Wing, one of the main wings of the museum, is a prominent example of neoclassical architecture).
Modern Architecture of the 20th century includes I.M. Pei’s Glass Pyramid. Designed by Chinese-American architect I.M. Pei, looks very different from the older sections of the museum.
Mansard Roofs: A French Architectural Innovation
The roofs of the Louvre are a combination of several architectural styles. In some of the older parts of the Louvre, you might find slate roofs, which were common in medieval and Renaissance architecture. These roofs often have a steep pitch and are covered in dark, natural slate tiles. The newer sections of the Louvre, especially those built in the neoclassical style, often feature mansard roofs. These French roofs have a double-sloped design, with a steeper lower slope and a flatter upper slope. Mansard roofs were popular in the 17th and 18th centuries and are known for their practicality, offering added height and visual interest to buildings.
Mansard roofs, named after the French architect François Mansart, originated in France during the 17th century. King Louis XIV was a patron of arts & architecture who must have favored and influenced the popularity of mansard roofs in France. These roofs offer several advantages. The sloped upper part of the roof allows for additional usable space within the attic or dormer. The steeper lower slope helps to shed rainwater more efficiently, reducing the risk of leaks and water damage. Also, the Mansard roofs can provide additional structural support to a building, especially in areas with heavy snowfall or strong winds. The symmetrical, balanced, and unique visual design of mansard roofs offers a distinctive silhouette that Paris is known for.
It’s not the first time I visit the museum, but I’m thrilled to share incredible genius of artists who created these pieces. I found the Louvre’s best art, some of it overly famous and other is not. Let’s explore the museum’s art collection together.
The Napoleon III Apartments
Napoleon III Apartments: the Grand Salon, Room 544, Richelieu Wing, Left 1. Photo: Veronica Winters
These luxurious red rooms are the most astonishing ones in the whole palace! You can’t skip them even if you’re short on time. You’d be stunned by the richness of its decorations. In 1861, these rooms became the apartments of Napoleon III, Minister of State, in the Richelieu wing. These opulent rooms in red, gold, and art, with crystal chandeliers, were used for various receptions, balls, dinners, and meetings between 1852 and 1870. It’s one of the most opulent rooms I’ve seen in many European palaces. Made around 1860, the largest chandelier sparkles with 180 lights and measures 4.7 by 3.27 meters.
One of the rooms displays the portrait of Emperor Napoleon III (1808-1873). The salon-theatre displays the portrait of Empress Eugénie and could house up to 250 guests. There was a special musicians’ platform above the stage hidden at first sight. The rooms have novel-designed red chairs and three-seater armchairs that zigzag to seat several people at once to have conversations. The Ministry of Finance occupied the rooms until the day the Louvre became a museum in 1993.
The Napoleon III Apartments in the Louvre, Photo: Veronica Winters
French Crown Jewels collection in the Apollo gallery
The Galerie d’Apollon, Room 705, Denon Wing, Level 1, the Louvre, Photo: Veronica Winters
Being just 23 years of age, King Louis XIV aligned himself with the ancient Greek god Apollo to become the sun king in France. He hired the best artists of the day, including the architect Louis Le Vau and Charles Le Brun, the first artist to the king, to work on one of the most beautiful rooms in a palace after it burned in fire. These famous artists later worked on the Hall of Mirrors at the Château de Versailles, the preferred residence of the Sun King.
Le Brun created a whole journey of the God Apollo in a series of ceiling paintings. The sun god rides his chariot across the sky from dawn to dusk. Apollo’s journey is set with many images, symbols, and representations of time, zodiac, and calendar to show the rule over the Universe. In 1850, famous French artist Eugène Delacroix received a commission to decorate the ceiling’s centerpiece – a 12-metre wide painting. Delacroix depicted the most famous scene from the ancient Greek mythology, Apollo Slaying the Serpent Python, in a style of French Romanticism. At the same time, beautiful portrait tapestries of 28 monarchs and artists were added as wall decorations.
The royal collection of vessels in the Apollo gallery, the Louvre, Photo: Veronica Winters
Today, you can view the royal collection of 800 hardstone vessels and the French Crown Jewels in the Galerie d’Apollon. These unique, artful vessels are made of precious stones, like agate, amethyst, lapis lazuli, jade, and crystal. Louis XIV had great taste!
THE FRENCH CROWN JEWELS (1530-1789)
On 15 June 1530, François I, king of France from 1515 to 1547, established the French Crown Jewels, selecting eight pieces of royal jewelry that were to remain the inalienable property of the monarchy. King Louis XIV (reigned 1643-1715) added more items to the collection during his reign. Under the subsequent sovereigns, for various occasions, the gemstones were used and remounted to create new items.
Today, you can admire natural beauty of precious stones and artistic achievement captured in a crown of Louis XV, a crown and diamond brooch of Empress Eugénie, Tiara of the Duchesse d’Angoulême, jewels of Queen Marie Amélie, necklace and earrings from the emerald parure of Empress Marie Louise, the Regent and pink diamonds, and many more fantastic pieces!
Badge of the Order of the Holy Spirit: 400 brilliant-cut diamonds and a ruby mounted on silver
The Order of the Holy Spirit, founded in 1578 by King Henri III, was a French order of chivalry. There are two hypotheses as to who received this badge from King Louis XV (reigned 1715-1774): his son-in-law, Philip, Infante of Spain and Duke of Parma, named Knight of the Order in 1736; or his grandson, Ferdinand, Infante of Spain and future Duke of Parma, named Knight of the Order in 1762. It was modelled on the badge from the white insignia of Louis XV, created by Pierre-André Jaqmin about 1750.
Eternal Egypt: Best Egyptian artifacts to see at the Louvre
Lionesses, Statues of the goddess Sekhmet (Le Temple) Room 324, Sully wing, Level 0, the Louvre
The Egyptian art collection at the Louvre primarily came about through three main avenues, Napoleon’s conquests, 19th century acquisitions, donations, and purchases.
Did you know that Jean-François Champollion was the French scholar who deciphered Egyptian hieroglyphs in 1822. He was just 32 years old. He founded the Egyptian museum in Turin, Italy and the Egyptian collection in the Louvre by convincing Charles X to purchase the Egyptian artifacts.
The role of Napoleon in shaping the Louvre’s art collection:
During his military campaigns in Egypt (1798-1801), Napoleon and his troops discovered and plundered numerous ancient Egyptian artefacts. These treasures were then brought back to France and eventually housed in the Louvre. The 19th century saw a surge of interest in Egyptology, leading to numerous archaeological expeditions and discoveries. Many of these artifacts were acquired by European museums, including the Louvre. Also, over the years, the Louvre has acquired Egyptian artefacts through donations from private collectors and purchases from antiquities dealers and art collectors. These additions have further enriched the museum’s Egyptian collection.
The Louvre today boasts one of the world’s most extensive and significant collections of Egyptian art of over 6,000 works spanning 5,000 years of Egyptian history, including iconic pieces such as the Sphinx of Tanis. Egyptian art collection is rich and occupies two floors of the palace. Let’s look at the best Egyptian artifacts at the Louvre.
To house the Egyptian collection, some rooms were redone into the Museum of King Charles X (Egyptian Antiquities, Room 637, Sully wing, Level 1). The architects linked nine rooms together with high openings and stucco decorations. These are very beautiful rooms with painted ceiling decorations that were done by several famous French artists of the period, Antoine-Jean Gros, Horace Vernet, and Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres. Painted scenes depict ancient Egypt in Greco-Roman style. One of the paintings by Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres, The Apotheosis of Homer, was replaced with a copy, and the original hangs in room 702 (Salle Daru), Denon Wing, Left 1.
Look at these beautiful, perfect cuts shaping the texture of the sphinx. I wonder what kind of tool they used to cut into the hard stone of granite so perfectly. It’s one of the Egyptian sphinxes exhibited at the Louvre.
Some of the most famous and best Egyptian artifacts to see at the Louvre include a Seated Scribe figure, jewelry, sarcophagi, tomb of Akhethotep, furniture, clothes, granite statues of kings and queens (Sesostris III, Ahmose Nefertari, Hatshepsut, Amenophis III, Nefertiti, Akhenaton and Ramesses II), standing statue of Horus, and numerous artifacts I list below.
Pectoral with the name of Ramesses II, Room 642, Sully wing, Level 1. 1279 / -1213 (Ramses II), cloisonné inlay, glass, electrum. It was found in a tomb of Ramses II.
Osorkon Triad, 865 /830 (Osorkon II), sculpture, gold, lapis lazuli, inlay. Found in Karnak, this golden pendant is in the form of a statue depicting a family of 3 gods, Osiris (center), Isis, and Horus, who stand in a protective pose with raised arms. It was purchased by the museum from a collector in 1872. https://collections.louvre.fr/ark:/53355/cl010006343
Osiris, Isis and Horus represent a founding myth of Egyptian religion. Osiris was killed by his brother Seth but he was revived by his wife Isis who also birthed their son Horus, the falcon god. Horus symbolizes victory over evil and the enduring power of the pharaohs.
The cat goddess Bastet, 664 / -610 (Wahibrê Psamtik I), copper alloy, gold. Museum’s purchase in 1852 from a collector.
Musée du Louvre, Département des Antiquités égyptiennes, E 27112 – https://collections.louvre.fr/ark:/53355/cl010003776 | Bust of Akhenaten, stoneware, 1352 / 1335 (Amenhotep IV Akhenaten). Place of discovery: Temple of Amenhotep IV Akhenaten. Display: Sully, Room 638, The New Empire, in the time of Akhenaten and Nefertiti. This is one of the most fascinating portrait sculptures of the Egyptian pharaohs I’ve seen. The face has an unusual, elongated shape with wide eyes, a long nose, and full lips. It’s not an idealized view of the Egyptian pharaoh but rather a portrait of a real person.The Statue of Horus Posno, the falcon-headed Egyptian god, is standing with outstretched arms in a purification pose. The statue is made of copper alloy and attributed to the Third Intermediate Period (attributed according to style) (-1069 – -664). Display: Sully Wing, Room 643Statue of Amun and Tutankhamun, 1330 /1321 (Tutankhamun), Place of origin: Temple of Amon-Re (?). Made of diorite, the seated statue holds a crown of Amun. Discovered at Karnak, the statue was sold and resold to the Louvre in 1920. https://collections.louvre.fr/ark:/53355/cl010009969
The ‘mastaba’ tomb of Akhethotep
“The mastaba of Akhethotep was purchased from the Egyptian government in 1903 and reconstructed in the Louvre. During the Old Kingdom (2700–2200 BC), members of the king’s circle were entitled to be buried in an elaborate mastaba – a massive structure built over a shaft leading down to an underground chamber, where the mummy of the deceased lay in a sarcophagus. The superstructure above the shaft contained a funerary chapel, where offerings were made to the deceased” -the Louvre
The Crypt of the Sphinx & Great Sphinx of Tanis
Room 338, Sully wing, Level -1
Great Sphinx of Tanis, 2620 / 1885, Height: 183 cm; Length: 480 cm; Width: 154 cm; probably IVth dynasty. Photo: Veronica Winters. Made of pink granite, the statue was discovered in Tanis and purchased by the museum in 1826. For some reason, this statue receives a lot of attention from visitors, although there are some other similar, if not better, statues displayed in other parts of the Louvre that don’t get much attention at all.
Naos, once housing the statue of Osiris
Naos, once housing the statue of Osiris in the Louvre, granite
The pharaoh Amasis (570-526 BC) had this pink granite naos bearing his name made for a temple in the Nile Delta dedicated to Osiris. A naos is a wooden or stone chapel, large or small, present in each temple and housing the cult statue of the god to whom the monument is dedicated. Every day, priests would open their doors, bringing offerings of purified food and drink to the god, who was dressed in special attire. Carved from a single block of granite, the naos bears depictions on its outer walls of the many deities constituting the personal guard of the god Osiris. Through augmented reality, the statue of the god Osiris regains its position in the temple sanctuary and receives offerings once again. By walking around the monument, you can explore the reliefs portraying the other gods. **From the museum’s description.
Crypt of Osiris: Room 323, Sully Wing, Left -1. Photo: Veronica Winters
Reign of Amasis (570-526 BC), 26th Dynasty
The Dendera Zodiac
Made of sandstone, it was created between 15 June-15 August 50 BC, and purchased in 1822. Place of discovery: Temple of Hathor.
Various astronomical phenomena are recorded here, on the ceiling of one of the rooftop chapels of the temple of the goddess Hathor in Dendera. Inside a circle showing the year divided into ten-day periods (decans), we can see the twelve constellations of the zodiac, the five planets known at the time, and two eclipses – one solar and one lunar.
Upon its discovery in 1798, archaeologists hoped to date the Egyptian civilization correctly, but it raised great concerns over the established biblical chronology. Jean-François Champollion (1790-1832) was off by a hundred years, proposing the 50 AD date to reassure the pope of the established date of the Flood. Today, the temple’s inscribed dedications suggest its establishment in 54 BC, under Cleopatra’s reign. Through augmented reality, you can explore the three-dimensional details of these decorations and travel through the different levels of this celestial vault.https://collections.louvre.fr/ark:/53355/cl010028871
The Palace of Sargon II: History of the Louvre’s collection of ancient Near Eastern art
This is one of the most fascinating galleries in the Louvre because it displays the 8th century BC excavations of the ancient city, decorations, and the palace of King Sargon II at Dur-Sharrukin, present-day Khorsabad (Room 229, Richelieu wing, Level 0).
These wall sculptures represent the Assyrian Empire of King Sargon II, who built a new capital at Khorsabad, the largest city in the ancient world, with a huge palace. Unfortunately, his city soon declined after his death on a battlefield in 705 BC. French archeologists rediscovered the place buried in sand in the 19th century and brought the artifacts into the Louvre. Paul Émile Botta, the French vice-consul in Mosul, excavated the site that began the Mesopotamian and Near Eastern archaeology. https://www.louvre.fr/en/explore/the-palace/the-palace-of-sargon-ii
Félix Thomas, The Pasha of Mosul visiting the excavations of Khorsabad. The 19th century Painting shows the discovery of this ancient city. https://collections.louvre.fr/ark:/53355/cl010067586
Large carved in low-relief alabaster stone slabs, many of which stood in a courtyard of the palace, were painted in bright blue and red. They showed life in a court, hunting and even construction scenes. Decorations and palace of King Sargon II
Carved into the entrance walls of the palace for protection, the protective genii (called aladlammû or lamassu) watched over the city and its palace. These colossal winged bulls weigh 28 tons each. Carved from a single alabaster block, the mythical, protective creatures look like bulls with eagle wings and human heads. These are fascinating creatures that resemble the art style of ancient Egypt with strangely moving legs, faces in profile, and flattened wings. This protective creature smiles gently and wears a hat with 3 sets of horns representing the divine power of the Mesopotamian region.
Mesopotamian wall: Gilgamesh overpowering a lion (left) and the Protective lamassu (right)
In these galleries, you can view “Gilgamesh overpowering a lion”, the high-relief sculpture that lacks original color but keeps its rough beauty. (Room 229, Richelieu Wing, Level 0). We look straight at the mad face of Gilgamesh squashing a lion. It’s not a side view, which is an unusual depiction of the hero. 721 /705 (Neo-Assyrian: Sargon II). It’s interesting to see how different people were in that region of the world. The man wears a bushy beard and curly hair. His long robe covers a loincloth. He wears sandals, earrings, and even a couple of different bracelets that were probably signs of his high status. This dark-toned sculpture was probably colored in white and other hues. Unlike the most refined granite sculptures of ancient Egypt, this figure lacks perfect proportions of the body but keeps stylization in place.
Passing lion, glazed terracotta, neo-Babylonian period, reign of Nebuchadrezzar II (605 BC–562 BC), Babylon, Iraq. Displayed at the Louvre. Photo: Veronica Winters
Cuneiform Script:
Sumerians developed cuneiform, a system of writing using wedge-shaped marks impressed into clay tablets, around 3500 BCE. The Louvre’s Near Eastern Antiquities collection, housed in the Galerie d’Angoulême (Room 301, Richelieu wing, Level 0), features Sumerian artifacts including cuneiform tablets, statues, stelae, and other objects.
The Louvre houses a Sumerian document with microscopic cuneiform, containing more than 30 lines of text and six to seven times as many signs as an ordinary cuneiform tablet. The Louvre also has a fragment of the Lament for Sumer and Ur, a Mesopotamian city lament.
Highlights of the Greek and Roman antiquities at the Louvre
This Ancient Greco-Roman Art Collection spreads across many rooms and levels. Obviously, it’s impossible to list everything that’s in this spectacular ancient Greek and Roman art collection but here are a few of my favorites.
Artemis/ Dianna (and the Caryatids behind her) stands in a beautiful ballroom gallery in the Renaissance style inside the Louvre, the Salle des Cariatides, Room 348, Sully wing, level 0. The gallery also displays ancient Roman marble copies of Greek bronze originals. Artemis with a Doe is a marble sculpture from the 2nd century BC and was based on a bronze original made in about 330 BC. It is also known as the Diana of Versailles, as it used to adorn the Hall of Mirrors at the Château de Versailles.Artemis, known as Diane de Gabies, Parian marble, found in Italy, displayed in room 348, Sully wing, Level 0, the Louvre. Original Greek sculpture, 4th quarter 4th century BC. The model was long identified with Praxiteles’ Artemis Brauronia, mentioned by writer Pausanias. The sculpture belonged to Camille Borghese before it was purchased by the State in 1807. Photo: the Louvrehttps://collections.louvre.fr/ark:/53355/cl010278726Apollo, the lizard slayer, the Louvre. Veronica Winters Art blog. Marble statue from the original by Praxiteles (400-325 bc). Achat, 1807, collection Borghèse. The god of the arts, shown as an adolescent, prepares to kill a lizard. The scene is a reference to the protective nature of the god or, in an indirect way, to his struggle against the serpent Python
The Louvre’s Greek art collection is a result of centuries of collecting, discoveries, and acquisitions. The first significant Greek artifacts were acquired by French collectors in the 16th century, primarily through diplomatic missions and personal travels. In the 17th Century, the Louvre began to acquire a small number of Greek antiquities, often as part of larger collections or gifts from wealthy individuals.
In the 18th Century, the Grand Tour, a cultural pilgrimage to Italy and Greece, became popular among European aristocrats. Many of these travellers returned with collections of Greek antiquities, which were often donated or sold to museums like the Louvre. Lord Elgin, a British ambassador to the Ottoman Empire, is perhaps the most famous collector of Greek antiquities from this period. His controversial removal of the Parthenon Marbles from Athens remains a subject of continuous debate. You can read about the Parthenon’s fate here.
The 19th century saw a surge in archaeological excavations in Greece, leading to the discovery of numerous ancient Greek sites. Many of the artifacts found during these expeditions were acquired by museums, including the Louvre. Heinrich Schliemann, a German archaeologist, is famous for his excavations at Troy and Mycenae, he also wanted to excavate Knossos. The Louvre continued to acquire Greek antiquities through donations and purchases from private collectors throughout the 20th century. The Getty Museum in Los Angeles and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City are among the other major museums with significant ancient Greek art collections.
The galleries dedicated to Classical and Hellenistic Greece are found in Room 344, Sully Wing, Left 0. They were transformed into a large space from the royal apartments to display ancient Greco-Roman sculptures in the Louvre.
The galleries have several different sculptures of Athena, the Greek goddess of war, victory, and power. Mattei Athena stands tall with both hands in a resting pose gesture, and Athena, known as ‘Pallas of Velletri’ has one hand raised up and another down. Athena without arms is probably an ancient marble copy of a colossal sculpture that was standing on the Acropolis Hill in Athens.
Statue of Eros stringing his bow in the Louvre, photo: V. Winters
The galleries with ancient Greek vases are located in a different place, the Galerie Campana. This is a long space of rooms with thousands of high-quality ancient Greek vases, cups, and other vessels. These galleries have several famous vases, like Hercules stealing the tripod from Apollo or Athena helping the hero win his battles, etc. The Marquis Giampietro Campana (1807–1880) was a super wealthy art collector who also led some archeological finds. After his arrest for financial fraud, his art collection was confiscated and sold off to czars and Emperors of Europe including Napoleon III. It’s a truly remarkable collection of ancient Greek pottery that can’t be missed! https://www.louvre.fr/en/explore/the-palace/the-marquis-greek-vases
Ancient Greek vase Athena & Herakles, the Louvre, Veronica Winters Art Blog
What shocked me about the Louvre’s Greek art collection is its high quality and vast size. I’ve been to Greece before, and the archaeological museums in Athens and the islands have little high-quality ancient Greek art left in situ. It was disappointing but clear that Greece “gave away” numerous art pieces to private and public art collections around the world. Besides the Greco-Roman sculpture hall, the Louvre displays numerous, high-quality, ancient Greek vases in several rooms of the palace, the Galerie Campana.
Model of the temple of Zeus in Olympia
Model of the Temple of Zeus in Olympia, 500-30 BC, by Michel Goudin with the help of Patrick Lizon, 1997, wood, 1/50 scale, 1997Ancient Greek temple model showing construction inside. Model of the Temple of Zeus in Olympia, 500-30 BC, by Michel Goudin with the help of Patrick Lizon, 1997, wood, 1/50 scale, 1997, the Louvre
Built around 460 BC by the local architect Libon of Elis, the temple of Zeus in Olympia was the largest of its kind in the Peloponnese (27.68 m x 64.12 m). Surrounded by a colonnade, it was made of stuccoes and painted limestone, with its sculpted decoration made of marble. The pediments were dominated by the statues of Zeus on each facade, the patron god of the sanctuary. The east pediment depicted the preparations for the chariot race between the king of Pisa, Oinomaos, and the hero, Pelops. Pelops won, gaining dominion over the region. The west pediment depicted the victory of a mythical Greek tribe, the Lapiths over the Centaurs. It was an allegorical battle between civilization and the Barbary. Inside the temple colonnade, above the entry porch (pronaos) to the east and the rear porch (opisthodomos) to the west, twelve metopes (rectangular elements with sculpture in high relief) of the Doric frieze featured the labors of Herakles, a hero considered one of the founders of the Olympic Games. The temple chamber (naos or cella) housed a colossal statue of Zeus in gold and ivory with a wooden core (about 460-450 BC). A masterpiece of the sculptor Phidias, the statue is considered one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.
The Greco-Roman art collection includes many sculptures of goddesses in the Louvre collection, including the Winged Victory, Venus de Milo, and Venus of Arles.
The Winged Victory of Samothrace
Who was the Goddess of Victory? In antiquity, the winged goddess Nike expressed the will of the gods. She announced, rewarded and glorified the victors. We often encounter the figure of Nike in sculpture, pottery, and goldsmithing. The Nikes found at the sanctuary of Delphi come from public buildings, where they were used as symbols of victory in literal or metaphorical battlefields.
The Winged Victory of Samothrace is located in the Daru staircase inside the Louvre. Photo: Veronica Winters Art Blog
The Winged Victory of Samothrace is one of the rare Greek statues whose exact original location is known as the Greek island of Samothrace. This beautiful sculpture was made as an offering to the gods for a sanctuary there. The Parian marble statue dates to 190 BC and was commissioned to celebrate the sailor’s victory. The winners, probably from the island of Rhodes, erected it in Samothrace to thank the Gods of the island. Located in the Aegean Sea, the broken into 110 pieces sculpture was discovered by Charles Champoiseau in 1863. The Winged Victory of Samothrace was placed in the Louvre 20 years after its discovery. The goddess of Victory’s wings were partially retrieved and restored with plaster. The pieces of the ship that form the base of this beautiful sculpture were found later on. Also, other excavations found one of her hands with missing fingers. https://www.louvre.fr/en/explore/the-palace/a-stairway-to-victory
The Venus de Milo
The Venus de Milo from the galleries dedicated to Classical and Hellenistic Greece in the Louvre was made between 130 and 100 BCE, during the late Hellenistic period. Photo: Veronica Winters.
The Venus de Milo name comes from the Greek island of Melos, where she was found in 1820. The Marquis de Rivière, the French ambassador to Greece, bought the piece and presented the sculpture to King Louis XVIII. This is one of the best-preserved female nude sculptures existing today. The proportion, movement, and simplicity are divine. Venus was the only goddess depicted in the nude, and Greek sculptor, Alexandros of Antiocha, carved the woman in a beautiful, natural pose. https://www.louvre.fr/en/explore/the-palace/ideal-greek-beauty
Aphrodite as Venus of Arles in the Louvre, Veronica Winters Art blog. Aphrodite, known as the ‘Venus of Arles’, Marble. This Venus was presented to King Louis XIV of France as a gift in 1683. François Girardon, the king’s sculptor, added the attributes of the goddess of love: a mirror and an apple, references to her victory in the Judgement of Paris. This work may be a copy of the Aphrodite of Thespiae (Boeotia, Greece), commissioned around 360 BC from the sculptor Praxiteles by the courtesan Phryne.Aphrodite by Praxiteles, the Louvre. Female head of the ‘Aphrodite of Knidos’ type, known as the ‘Kaufmann Head’, Room 344, Sully wing, Level 0.
The Michelangelo Gallery inside the Louvre
Napoleon III ordered the redesign of this gallery during the Second Empire (1852–1870). The Michelangelo gallery houses the unfinished work by Michelangelo and Canova’s masterpieces, among other Italian sculptures from the 16th to the 19th century. Built between 1854 and 1857, the Michelangelo gallery led to the Salle des États (the rooms that served for the legislation of the country). This new gallery also became an open space for a prestigious annual art competition, the Salon, for sculpture.
Michelangelo, the dying slave at the Louvre | Photo: Veronica Winters | This sculpture is part of a series of sculptures known as the “Prisoners” or “Slaves.” It dates between 1513 and 1530, during Michelangelo’s time working on the tomb of Pope Julius II in Rome. I love how the artist curved the body creating movement in the figure. It looks so beautiful even without the polished luster of finished marble. Room 403, Denon wing, Level 0Antonio Canova, Psyche Revived by Cupid’s Kiss, marble sculpture, 1793, Room 403, Denon wing, Level 0, the Louvre, photo: Veronica Winters art blogCanova, Cupid and Psyche, marble sculpture, 19th century, Room 403, Denon wing, Level 0, the Louvre | Photo: Veronica Winters. I love Canova’s art although it’s a bit too sweet for my taste but the sculptor was an incredible talent who created such beautiful works of art.Lorenzo Bartolini, Nymph with a Scorpion,1835 / 1845, Room 403 (Michelangelo Gallery), Denon wing, Level 0. Probably commissioned in marble from the plaster model created around 1835 and remaining in Bartolini’s studio. Acquired by Prince Charles de Beauvau for his Château d’Haroué around 1843.Sleeping Hermaphrodite, Room 348, Sully wing, Level 0, the Louvre. Hermaphroditos was the son of Aphrodite and Hermes, the messenger god. When he was a young man, the nymph Salmakis fell in love with him, but he rejected her advances; disappointed, she asked Zeus to join their bodies into one. This is an ancient Roman marble sculpture, unknown artist, c. 100-500 AD, first in the Borghese Collection
13 Famous Artists inside the Louvre
These are some of the most famous artists in the world, listed in no particular order. There are many more inspiring artists in the Louvre that I simply don’t have space to do so.
1. Leonardo da Vinci
Who painted the Mona Lisa and when, you may ask?
Leonardo da Vinci’s “Mona Lisa”, closeup. 30×20 in, oil on polar wood. This small portrait of a woman is the most famous painting in the world and is considered a masterpiece of early Renaissance art. Painted between 1503-1519, it depicts Lisa Gherardini, the wife of Florentine silk merchant Francesco del Giocondo. That’s the official story of the model. However, there are rumors that the woman is a younger Leonardo himself (the artist is believed to be gay), and other theories include him painting a mistress of the Medici rather than a merchant’s wife… No one knows this for sure. Leonardo created this and other rare paintings of his using the sfumato technique, which gives this soft and hazy appearance. Although the original colors of this painting were not brown but rather vivid and colorful. Here you can read about the painting in greater detail. You can also read about another, even more controversial painting of the artist here.
2. Eugene Delacroix
The Delacroix Palette is displayed in his museum in Paris. I don’t suggest visiting this museum if you’re short on time. The museum is a fair walk from the Louvre, and it has very little art. But if you go, stop by the art supply store, the Sennelier.Liberty Leading the People. 1830. Oil on canvas, 260 x 325 cm.
Eugene Delacroix’s “Liberty Leading the People” – This painting depicts the allegorical figure of Liberty leading the people of France during the Revolution of 1830 and is considered a symbol of the fight for freedom and democracy.
3. Arcimboldo
Arcimboldo, Four Seasons at the Louvre, Paris, France
https://collections.louvre.fr/en/ark:/53355/cl010065017 | Commissioned by Emperor Maximilian II (1527 -1576) for Elector Augustus of Saxony (1526-1586), the paintings show some symbolism representing the royal court. The crossed swords of Meissen and the coat of arms of Saxony appear on the winter coat, and the date of 1573 is inscribed on the shoulder of L’ Summer, signed by the artist. The Four Seasons have multiple layers of meaning. The obvious one is the change of seasons, but the four paintings may also suggest the four ages of man: childhood, adolescence, maturity, and old age, as well as everlasting peace and abundance of the Hapsburg’s empire. You can read about this artist here.
4. Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres
Jean-Auguste-Dominique, the Valpinçon Bather, 1808, the Louvre. Room 940 Sully Wing, Level 2. https://collections.louvre.fr/ark:/53355/cl010066528 . This is one of my favorite paintings because it has a perfect balance between a sensual figure and beautiful folds of fabric.http://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/436708. Ingres, An odalisque, called The Great Odalisque, 1814. The grey version is an underpainting/study of the finished painting displayed at the Louvre. It’s also reduced in size and much simplified. The 19th-century artists were fascinated with the Orient and painted their ideas with the props from the orient world. Here, Ingres shows his concept of ideal beauty captured in this woman, an imagined concubine in a Middle Eastern harem.Ingres, Jean-Auguste-Dominique, France, Musée du Louvre, Département des Peintures, RF 1158 – https://collections.louvre.fr/ark:/53355/cl010065566 | This photo shows the closeup of a beautiful contrast between the fabric and face. Ingres, Jean-Auguste-DominiqueFrance, Musée du Louvre, https://collections.louvre.fr/ark:/53355/cl010059986 Ingres painted several versions of the Oedipus and Sphinx in the neoclassical style. The Walters art museum, the National Gallery in London and the Louvre have these paintings. Oedipus explains the riddle of the Sphinx, 1808, oil on canvas, Height: 1.89 m x Width: 1.44 m. On view at Denon, Room 702 – Daru Room, the Louvre.
5. David
David was the leading artist of the neoclassical art style being admirer of Michelangelo and Caravaggio. David is famous for his large-scale historical painting. His paintings ,like The Oath of the Horatii and The Intervention of the Sabine Women are on display in the Louvre, Room 702 (Salle Daru), Denon wing, Level 1.
Jacques-Louis David, Death of Marat or Marat assassinated, 1800, oil on canvas. Height: 1.625 m; Height with accessory: 1.9 m; Width: 1.3 m. Room 702, Denon Wing, Level 1, The Louvre. Replica of the painting donated by David to the Convention on 14 November 1793 (displayed in the Royal Museum of Fine Arts, Brussels). Bequest of Baron Jeanin, descendant of the artist, 1945.
David painted his assassinated friend and French revolutionary leader, Jean-Paul Marat. David was the leading French Neoclassical painter and supporter of the French Revolution. Being a member of the revolutionary Committee of General Security, he voted for the death of French king Louis XVI. Marat had a skin condition, the pain of which was elevated by taking a long bath. He was assassinated by Charlotte Corday in it on 13 July 1793. He painted Marat in a pose resembling the Pieta.
Jacques-Louis David’s “The Coronation of Napoleon”1805-1807. This incredibly large painting depicts Napoleon Bonaparte and his wife Josephine being crowned emperor and empress of France in Notre-Dame Cathedral in 1804. This gigantic painting (20ft x 32ft) has remarkable detail that you must see up close. It’s an incredible fit of artistic genius to design such a balanced composition in a gigantic oil painting, which measures 6.21 meters tall and 9.79 meters wide, making it one of the largest paintings in the Louvre Museum in Paris.Jacques-Louis David, Portrait of Madame Récamier, 1800, is one of my favorite neoclassical paintings by the master. It’s a commissioned portrait of the Parisian socialite Juliette Récamier shown reclining on a classical, Pompeian-style recliner. Because the painting is unfinished, it shows brushwork and simplified color choices that are great for a study if you’re a realist artist.
6. Georges de La Tour
Georges de La Tour, The Card Sharp with the Ace of Diamonds, oil painting, 1636–1638, photo: Veronica Winters. This French artist became famous for his art style depicting figures in a strong, directional candle light. Many ‘candlelight’ painters imitated his style.Georges de La Tour, The Card Sharp with the Ace of Diamonds, oil painting 1636–1638, closeup, the Louvre | Photo: Veronica Winters
7. Caravaggio
The Fortune Teller – Caravaggio 1595
Death of a virgin – Caravaggio 1606
Portrait of Alof de Wignacourt and his Page
8. Johannes Vermeer
Johannes Vermeer, The Astronomer, 1668. This small but exquisite painting depicts a scholar examining the stars and is considered one of Vermeer’s masterpieces. I love the quietness and natural light in his paintings, as well as the suggested detail and mysterious nature of the figures.
9. Théodore Géricault
Théodore Géricault, “The Raft of the Medusa”. It was a revolutionary painting because it depicted a controversial subject of the day. This monumental painting depicts the aftermath of the shipwreck of the French frigate Medusa in 1816 and is considered a masterpiece of the Romanticism movement that created much controversy during the painting’s reveal. The artist depicted figures with stunning realism and movement characteristic of the Romanticism style.
10. Anne-Louis Girodet de Roucy-Trioson
Anne-Louis Girodet de Roucy-Trioson, The Entombment of Atala, oil on canvas,207 cm × 267 cm (81 in × 105 in), 1808, Room 702 (Salle Daru), Denon wing, Level 1. A student of David, Girodet painted a picture of love. Being Christina, Atala chose death by poison to end her struggle between her faith and love for an Indian boy. It was a very influential painting among French artists for decades to come. It was painted in neoclassical style with some romantic notes that led to the development of the Romanticism style in 19th century France.
11. Elisabeth-Louise Vigée Le Brun
Elisabeth-Louise Vigée Le Brun, La Paix ramenant l’Abondance
12. Titian
Titian, The woman in the mirror, oil painting, 1525 / 1550
13. Paul Delaroche
Delaroche, Paul, The Young Martyr, oil on canvas, 1854 / 1855, 67.3×58.3 inches. Although the subject is one of sadness, I love how the artist painted the light on her face and the water. These subtle grey-green colors of water are so beautiful that I can’t stop looking at this painting!Scheffer, AryFrance, Musée du Louvre, Département des Peintures, RF 1217 – https://collections.louvre.fr/ark:/53355/cl010065982 Ary Scheffer, The Shades of Francesca da Rimini and Paolo Malatesta Appear to Dante and Virgil, Room 700 (Salle Mollien), Denon wing, Level 1. Repetition of the painting exhibited at the Salon of 1835 (booklet no. 1943, currently London, Wallace Collection, P. 316); remained in the artist’s family; bequeathed to the Louvre Museum by Madame Cornélia Marjolin Scheffer (1830-1899), the artist’s daughter, in 1900. I absolutely love this painting for its emotion and artistic use of diagonals and contrast to create movement in this oil painting.
The Islamic Art Collection
What kind of Islamic art is in the Louvre Museum?
The Islamic art collection has amazing artifacts displayed in spacious, dark galleries below the ground floor in Cour Visconti. Some of the pieces display remarkable artistic skills. The collection spans from the rise of Islam in the 7th century to the late 19th century. Geographically, the collection comes from four regions: Spain, India, North Africa, and Egypt. Room 185, Denon Wing, Left -1
There are several Islamic zodiac/astral/celestial tools displayed throughout the museum, but i don’t remember what room they belonged to.
Planisphere Astrolabe in the Louvre, made around 1800 in Morocco.
The inscriptions are engraved in a Maghrebi Kufic script, suggesting Morocco as its place of origin. The names of the stars on the “spider” (a cut-out copper plate rotating inside the case), except one, are in cursive style. Only twenty of the twenty-five star indexes bear names. It looks like the “spider” remained unfinished and was partially completed later. Inside the case (or mother), under the “spider”, is a metal disc engraved on both sides (or “tympanum”) to indicate the latitudes, which could be turned over as needed, depending on where the astrolabe was used (on one side, Meknes; on the other, Fez). The astrolabe also contains five other tympanums. The back of the astrolabe has the Julian zodiacal calendar (O° Aries = March 7), a chart of unequal hours, and a square of shadows. https://collections.louvre.fr/ark:/53355/cl010115734
I hope you enjoyed traveling across centuries of beautiful art with me. You can watch my video about the Louvre to see even more beautiful art, the interiors of the palace, the streets of Paris, and the beauty of France! Let me know what your favorite art is in the comments section of the video.
