Artimis' Interpretations

So, not being at all sure of what I really want to do with this blog, I think I'll start with a paper I just wrote. It was surprisingly fun to write, seeing as the teacher just wanted our opinion. Take note of everything that doesn't really serve a purpose other than to make the paper longer. This is why I hate writing papers. Anyway, here goes...

The art of Artimis shows her as the goddess of the hunt. She is strong, arrogant, and beautiful. The pieces of art were made in whatever way was popular to show this in a woman at the time. In some she is dressed as an upstanding lady of a wealthy court. Others show her in flowing robes that allow free movement. All contain the presence of a deer, because of her control over them. The types of art are all subject to the time period as well. The typical vase art from ancient Greece represents the majority of her interpretation. The newer the art is, the newer form of art is used.
Out of the six pieces of art given to compare, my favorite was the statue made around 325-300 B. C. It portrays Artimis as a young, strong woman. Her aura contains the power of the hunt. Her face is beautiful and smooth; her body is lithe, powerful and graceful. She is confident and ready to kill. The deer she holds represents her hunting power, along with the arrows strapped to her back. Her clothing is loose and comfortable, perfect for hunting. She is the amazing goddess of the hunt.
I like to compare this statue to how women are today. We are very independent and strong. We have more options, and while that can lead to more confusion, it creates a stronger, smarter woman. The women of this generation are ready to take on the world, as Artimis appears to be in this work of art. This tends to be a trend in all of the art.
The three vases depict Artimis in various scenes of earned pride. In the Francois vase, she is holding a lion and a deer by the neck and standing in a very powerful pose. This is the only depiction where she has wings. They look a lot like what angel wings would look like. This is indicative of her godliness. The animals she carries show her supremacy in hunting, and this is one of the two times that the deer is dead. She had no trouble in killing them and she is very proud of this fact.
The other two vases were made around the same time, so they both have a similar pattern for a boarder. One contains a scene of her and her twin brother, Apollo. They are facing each other. Artimis has her bow in hand, and a deer close by. The way artists of the time liked to draw deer seems odd. They look like dogs with cloven hoofs. In the second, she is killing Actaeon, one of her lovers. Her bow and arrow are drawn and ready to kill. Actaeon’s dogs, which look a lot like the deer in the previous vase, are killing him while he looks heavenward as if begging for mercy from a different god. Artimis is merciless, and probably knows that no god will help Actaeon now.
These three vases, though really not anything close to what I would want to display in my house, are very descriptive and tell great stories about Artimis. In each she is strong and confident. She is haughty and very much aware of her superiority over humans and animals. She can get things from whomever she wants, and command animals to do her bidding. She wears clothing the makes silent movement effortless.
The two newest pieces of art depict Artimis as the newer woman that has evolved out of the woman from ancient Greece. She is a little chunky and fair skinned. Her clothing is not as flowing; it is similar to what would be worn during the time of the arts’ creation. In the older of the two, Artimis commands attention by filling the entire scene. She is vigorously pointing upwards as she leads something in that direction. She rides a chariot that appears to be lead by a deer.
In the newer of the two, Artimis is not quite as energetic, though she still projects power. She is resting, but her posture indicates that she is still very much aware of everything going on around her. Again she has command over animals, dogs and deer, and people, her ladies in waiting. The forest she is in is beautiful and quiet. A stream provides some background noise and a place to cool down from the hunt. Her bow and arrow are still present, along with a newer object, the hunting horn. This is the other time that the deer appears to be dead.
This is my second favorite. While the dead deer, kind of saddens me, I feel like Artimis is depicted well. Being a goddess, she has every right to look and feel superior to those around her. She commands everything while looking comfortable. She seems very content with her lot in life.
Artimis has been very influential in art. She makes a good subject to portray. Womanly, and yet powerful, she can provoke much thought. Not many women get into hunting and wandering the forest, but this was her role. Every piece of art shows this in its own way. It is very evident that she has not been forgotten and is not likely to be so anytime soon.