This activity requires students to demonstrate understanding of the lasting influences of the classical world, using mythology in art as a context.
The students will be assessed on how perceptively they demonstrate understanding of the lasting influences of the classical world on other cultures across time. It will be a written report and should be no less than 3000 words. All work should be original eg; no more than 20% plagiarism and sources cited.
Starting with a myth depicted in a Roman wall painting, the activity requires analysis of three examples of painting from each of two subsequent time periods.
Students will produce an illustrated analysis of a rendition of a myth across time, examining and exploring the social/political/artistic context in which it was created. They will examine and explore similarities and differences in rendition, themes, and patterns, and develop hypotheses about reasons for the lasting influences of the myth.
You are ONLY to use ONE of the following for your assignment: Zeus, Poseidon, Hercules or Odysseus. Once you have decided:
Analyse aspects of the painting, which help to convey the story of this myth.
Examine three artworks from each of two post-classical periods for evidence of similarities and differences in subject matter, context, or rendition. YOU WILL USE A TOTAL OF 7 ARTWORKS.
Explore the ideas and values of the two periods when the artworks were created and develop hypotheses about the reasons for the lasting influences of this myth across time.
Explore the context of these paintings, considering aspects such as: why the subject matter may have been chosen; and the cultural expectations (ideas and values) of the two periods when each group of paintings was commissioned.
Analyse, showing insight, the reasons for the lasting influences of Roman mythology as subject matter for painting across time, supporting your ideas with appropriate specific evidence from primary source material, that is, what is demonstrated in the paintings you have examined.
Features ofinsight could include:
explaining reasons for the choice of Roman mythology across time
accounting for similarities, differences, and adaptations in the studied paintings of the two later time periods
clearly identifying themes and patterns occurring across time
explaining the relevance of the ideas and values, cultural expectations, and codes of behaviour of the three time periods
showing discernment regarding limitations of sources of evidence.
The quality of your ideas is more important than the quantity, so there is not a recommended length for your analysis. You should provide sufficient depth and detail to demonstrate perceptive understanding.