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Interactive Exhibitions: Mythological Figures in Art

On this page you will find twenty-one of the most frequently represented mythological figures in Western art.  Each figure is illustrated with a work of art, where you can learn their symbols, atributes, and ways to recognize them.  Below each picture is a summary of their myth (or myths), as well as a list of other attributes or scenes in which they can commonly be found.  

The images, which include paintings, sculptures, decorative arts, tapestries, and works on paper, range from the 1st to the 20th century, covering a variety of geographical areas and artistic traditions.  Some examples are canonical, while others are more obscure.

Click on any of the thumbnails below to access each mythological figure's interactive exhibition.

“Actaeon"     “Adonis"     “Andromeda"     “Ariadne"
                  Actaeon                                            Adonis                                        Andromeda                                      Ariadne  
 
“Atlas"     Danaë     “Daphne"     “Endymion"
                     Atlas                                              Danaë                                          Daphne                                          Endymion   
 
“Europa"     “Eurydice"     “Icarus"     “Leda"
                   Europa                                          Eurydice                                             Icarus                                              Leda  
 
“Marsyas"     “Medea"     “Medusa"     “narcissus"
                 Marsyas                                            Medea                                            Medusa                                         Narcissus 
 
“Orpheus"     “Pan"     “Phaeton"     “Psyche"
                  Orpheus                                             Pan                                              Phaethon                                          Psyche 
 
“Silenus"
                 Silenus