Welcome to World Mythology
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This collection of images brings together 24 works of art inspired by mythology around the world. The rich variety of images makes it possible for you to address a wide range of study areas, including language arts, humanities, art, social and cultural studies, and world religions. Mythological Comparisons will help you explore the relationships among the images. Have fun being creative with these materials!
Each image has a corresponding essay containing:
- Key points
- The myth that inspired the work of art
- Historical and cultural background information
- Description of the work of art
- Discussion of the style of the work of art
- Suggested discussion questions
All vocabulary words, in CAPITAL LETTERS in the essay, are defined in the Glossary. Keep in mind that the essays are written for you - the educator. They are not intended to be read by or to your students. Feel free to adapt the information to the level of your students' needs. You are the best judge of what will be a useful supplement to your curriculum.
Suggested discussion questions accompany each essay. Look questions focus on what can be gleaned from direct observation, while Think questions ask students to make hypotheses and draw conclusions. The questions can be easily adapted for any age. In general, younger students and those with little experience in the discipline of art will find Look questions most interesting. Directions to the educator are printed in boldface.
1. Mythology often addresses the theme of good conquering evil. How is this theme addressed in the stories in this collection of images? Who or what represents good in these stories? Who or what represents evil? Which works of art focus on this conflict? How?
2. All the works of art in this collection of images were inspired by mythology. What else do they have in common? How are they different? Use the Mythological Comparisons chart to select works of art for comparison. You might choose two works of art from the category of Hero Myths, for example, and compare them in terms of media and technique, function, size, cultural origins, narrative, style, expressive quality, subject matter, or artistic intent.
Brainteaser: Do these works of art illustrate myths? How? How is an illustration different from other works of art?
We hope that this collection of images will be useful as preparation for or follow-up to a visit to The Minneapolis Institute of Arts. If you would like to reserve a docent-led tour, please call the Tour Office at (612) 870-3140 at least one month in advance.
When you schedule a docent-led tour, your docent will contact you before your tour date. Since it is not possible for the museum to keep all works of art on view at all times, we recommend that you plan to discuss your particular interests with your docent when she or he calls. Because April and May are the museum's busiest months, we encourage you to schedule tours at other times of the year.
Now, if you're ready, begin exploring World Mythology with the Introduction.