Element Water by The Posavje Museum BrežicePosavje Museum Brežice
Poseidon
Poseidon
Poseidon (R. Neptune) the Greek God of sea, storms and earthquakes is holding a down-turned trident, his attribute, in his right hand.
His kidneys are covered by seaweed...
... whereas his eyes are focused on a galloping horse with fins on feet.
A young sea goddess Amphitrite – the Romans called her Salacia – is snuggling up to him, full of zeal.
Her kidneys and left bosom are covered by a transparent grey veil which at the top rounds up into a fluttering bow, linking up a divine couple.
Sitting on a chart made of shell, pushed by a wooden flap...
... they are giving their bodies to a merry gallop of horses led by winged boys.
Pyramus and Thisbe
A dramatic scene from the legend of Pyramus and Thisbe tells a story of ill-fated lovers Pyramus and Thisbe, whose love was forbidden by their parents.
They decided to escape but at the place agreed Thisbe was surprised by the lioness so she hid herself but lost her cloak on the way which was torn up by the animal’s bloody snout.
Since Pyramus found only her cloak, he realized her beloved had been murdered so he stabbed himself.
When Thisbe found him dead, she killed herself.
It is the story the Roman poet Ovid wrote about. One of the authors, later inspired by a tragic story of Pyramus and Thisbe, was also Shakespeare. He first used it in his work A Midsummer Night’s Dream, later in Romeo and Juliet.
Due to the literary fame of the latter, memories of these antique lovers have faded.
Zeus and Europa
Zeus, in love with Europa and changed into a bull, kidnapped his fiancee and took her over the sea to Crete, where he changed again into a handsome young boy.
As a Crete ruler he promised her protection in return for her love and devotion. A bit confused, she said yes. The next morning when she was mourning her deed, Aphrodite came and told the truth about her kidnapping.
At the same time she cheered her up by telling her that the rest of the world, where she had been living, would be called Europe.
Europa, a mortal, gave birth to three Zeus’s sons: Minos, Rhadamanthus and Sarpedon.
Alenka Černelič Krošelj, Director of the Posavje Museum Brežice
Oži Lorber, curator at art history department
Andreja Matijevc, cultural programme coordinator
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