This gallery will be show different representations of Zeus, a god found in greek mythology. We will also be showing parts of his temple. He is known as "the father of God and men" and also "the god of sky and thunder". It's an interesting topic since he is the most powerful of all the gods and we will be exploring how this element is being illustrated in his representations.
Enthroned Zeus, about 100 B.C., From the collection of: The J. Paul Getty Museum
In this sculpture Zeus is being represented sitting on a Throne. Thrones represent royalty and resourcefulness. In his facial expression he seems very sure of himself yet extremely calm. We can see that he is holding his hand up in commanding way; this represents power. He is giving an order for others to follow. We cannot see the rest of the arm because this sculpture is really old.
On the left side of this engraved gem we can observe Zeus. He is an a battle against his opponent. He is up in the air while the opponent is touching the ground. This infers that Zeus is superior to him. Zeus is preparing to discharge a thunderbolt against his enemy. Also, Zeus is not wearing any armor because he does not need it. He is the king of the gods and he is invincible.
Marbury Hall Zeus, 1st century, From the collection of: The J. Paul Getty Museum
What is being shown here is a similar but much more recent representation of Zeus sitting down. He has a blank expression on his face. He has a very relaxed posture. He looks very thoughtful, it almost look he is enlightened and in a deep meditative state. He appears to be contemplating very important things since has such a meaningful role as the king of the gods. He needs absolute clarity in his thoughts to be able to make the best decisions.
[Athens - temple of Zeus Olypmpios], Dimitrios Constantin, 1865, From the collection of: The J. Paul Getty Museum
Here we can see some old columns which were part of the temple of Zeus. This is temple is a work of art in itself. We can see that these columns were created with extreme detail and this is just a small part of the original temple. This decoration was added in order to honor Zeus for his greatness.
Head of Seated Zeus, Unknown, 1st century B.C., From the collection of: The J. Paul Getty Museum
This is a representation of the head of Zeus. Even though the sculpture has been damaged, we can see that his skin is flawless and his face is almost exactly symmetrical. His hair is very thick and very flowing. He looks young a and powerful. He will continue to be like that forever because he is a Zeus, an immortal god.
Zeus, thunderbearer, Unknown, -470/-460, From the collection of: Altes Museum, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin
Here we have a small statue of Zeus preparing to throw a thunderbolt into the distance. It has a dark blueish metallic color as opposed as to the previously shown figures which were white. Blue is linked to the sky and after all he is the god of sky and thunder. He is in perfect physical shape, almost too perfect to look human.
Temple of Zeus Sosipolis from Magnesia on the Maeander, Unknown, 221 BCE - 180 BCE, From the collection of: Pergamonmuseum, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin
Here we can a statue of Zeus and parts representative of his temple in the background. It seems that they tried to re-create the ambience of Zeus in his original temple inside this museum. They place the statues of Zeus in the middle and at the front which means it is the element of most importance. Also the mood is very calm and sacred. It is composed of white, beige and brown colors.
Coin: Tetradrachm of Philip II with Head of Zeus laureate on the obverse; victorious horse and rider on the reverse, Greek (Macedonian), 323 - 315 BC, From the collection of: The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
This is a representation of the head of Zeus on a coin. His head is in a profile position. The coin is silver in the center but slightly blue and purple around the edges. These colors are similar to the colors of the sky when the sunset is happening. They are very bright and beautiful colors. Since Zeus is the god of the sky we could infer that he is the one that makes the sunset happen and this coin was made in honor to him.
Door Knocker with Zeus Vanguishing Giants, Italian 17th Century or Italian 18th Century, late 17th or early 18th century, From the collection of: National Gallery of Art, Washington DC
In this drawing we can observe Zeus flying in the sky while defeating three giants. Zeus is protecting the greek town from the evil giants. He is being represented with wings to show that he can fly and how majestic he is. He does not even have to touch them to defeat them. He seems to be immobilizing them through some sort of magic spell. He is very powerful. He is a hero.
Zeus, Desconocido, 2014, From the collection of: Bogotá Street Art
Here we have a more modern representation of a caricature of Zeus. It seems to me that this has been spray painted on a wall. There is a white energy field emanating for the gods head. This shows that he is a magical and powerful creature. He is there with his eyes closed. He seems very calm and appears to be meditating. It interesting how he remains calm while the background is very hectic. He is a pillar among the chaos.
Credits: All media
This user gallery has been created by an independent third party and may not represent the views of the institutions whose collections include the featured works or of Google Arts & Culture.
