Throughout history the depiction of mythical creatures in art have led to speculations of whether these creatures were real. By using representational techniques and style in these paintings, these artists were able to bring imagination to the canvas in its truest form.
The Kiss of the Sphinx, Franz von Stuck, 1895, From the collection of: Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest
in this painting by Franz von Stuck, Sphinx, who is depicted as a woman, kisses this man with the vigor and aggression only a passionate beast would.
Allegory of Fortune, about 1658 - 1659, From the collection of: The J. Paul Getty Museum
This oil painting almost got Salvator Rosa(painter) jailed due to its mythological origins, which was something the public wasn't used to.
The Minotaur, George Frederic Watts, 1885, From the collection of: Tate Britain
The Minotaur, which is a bull-headed man, first arose in Greek Mythology from a story involving Poseidon and "the Horned god",Greek culture describes Minotaur's as a guardian of the Labyrinth.
The fight: St George kills the dragon VI, Sir Edward Burne-Jones, 1866, From the collection of: Art Gallery of New South Wales
"The Fight", painted by Edward Burne-Jones, was more of a symbol being painted in 1866, depicting the classic "Knight in shining armor saves a damsel in distress" type of visual
Saint George and the Dragon, Jacopo Tintoretto, about 1555, From the collection of: The National Gallery, London
This painting, like the last, depicts a noble knight ending a dragons life, that has already left a dead body in its wake
Saint George Slaying the Dragon, Carlo Crivelli, 1470, From the collection of: Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum
These 3 St. George paintings reitorate the same visual of st. George dealing or about to deal the deathly blow to the Dragon
Caresses, Fernand Khnopff, 1896, From the collection of: Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium
Khnopff was a Belgian symbolist who tried to depicted the mystery of woman. In this painting Fernand is said to depict this woman as "devouring". this imagination aligns with the motif of mythology
The Sphinx of the Seashore, Elihu Vedder (1836–1923), 1879, From the collection of: de Young museum
from afar this painting depicts another "Lady Sphinx" which was a symbol of a monster sent by the gods to deliver plagues
Man attacking a monster, Attributed to John Hamilton Mortimer, 1740–1779, British, between 1770 and 1780, From the collection of: Yale Center for British Art
This painting depicts a man attacking what seems to be a dragon, as if these creatures existed, as if this happened with the realistic and representational style of this painting
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