Atlas Week: The Athena Painter's "Hercules and Atlas"

On this Day in the History of Art: Ludovido Carracci born (1555), Charlotte Brontë born (1815)

Because the Atlas Shrugged movie just came out I thought it would be fun to post a week of images of Atlas by various artists.

Nationality: Greek

Creation Date: c. 490-480 BC
Media: Terracotta
Location: National Archeological Museum, Athens, Greece

This vase, painted by an unknown Greek given the name "the Athena Painter," depicts Hercules temporarily taking over Atlas' job, which according to mythology, is something he did. In a bizarre twist of modern-day expectations, the earth and heavens depicted here are flat!

Atlas Week: Atlas from the Doge's Palace in Venice

On this Day in the History of Art: The sun dog phenomena is painted (“Vädersolstavlan”) (1535), Franz Xavier Winterhalter born (1805), Daniel Chester French born (1850), Bram Stoker died (1912)

Because the Atlas Shrugged movie came out recently I thought it would be fun to post a week of images of Atlas by various artists from history.

Nationality: Italian
Creation Date: 1646
Media: Stone and plaster (?)
Location: Doge's Palace, Venice, Itlay

A nice feature of this sculpture is the way Atlas' legs are posed as if he is moving forward or balancing on his platform.

Atlas Week: William Cunningham's "Atlas with an Armillary"

On this Day in the History of Art: Paolo Veronese died (1588), Lord Byron died (1824)

Because the Atlas Shrugged movie came out recently I thought it would be fun to post a week of images of Atlas by various artists from history.

Nationality: English

Creation Date: 1559
Media: Engraving ink on paper (?)
Location: London, UK

This engraving is unusual because instead of depicting Atlas supporting the heavens and earth he is shown supporting an armillary sphere--a model of the earth and heavens. This image was the frontispiece for an English scientific text called The Cosmographicall Glasse from 1559 and this image reflects many ideas about the cosmos that were held during the Renaissance(1)--a time when scientific observation and religious belief were often blended.

I suspect that the text "primum mobile" refers to God as the "first cause" and that the text on the next layer, "cristalline firmament," refers to the substance known as "the ether" which was believed to fill the space beyond the terrestrial plane. According to Christian mythology, this was the location of heaven. (2) Next comes fire and air, then "ye earth" (here shortened to "yearth") and water reside at the center. It is also noteworthy that there are ten rings which separate the earth from the heavens, which may be an allusion to the ten-ringed worlds of Dante's Divine Comedy.

Atlas' ribbon-like label reads "Atlas supporting the heavens," and strangely Atlas is crowned. I think this comes from his mythology because in The Aeneid he is described as "with piny forests crown'd" although I'm sure that refers to forests held above his head. Perhaps he is made out to be a king with his castle in the background or perhaps kings were seen as Atlas-like.

I am told that the Latin text at the bottom refers to the following lines from The Aeneid:

Atlas Week: Il Guercino's "Atlas"

On this Day in the History of Art: "We the Living" published (1936)

Because the Atlas Shrugged movie came out recently I thought it would be fun to post a week of images of Atlas by various artists from history.

Nationality: Italian
Born/Died: 1591-1666

Creation Date: 1646
Media: oil on canvas
Location: Museo Bardini, Florence, Itlay

Atlas Week: Bavarian Atlas

On this Day in the History of Art: Geoffrey Chaucer tells the Cantebury Tales (1397)

Because the Atlas Shrugged movie just came out I thought it would be fun to post a week of images of Atlas by various artists.
Location: Linderhof Palace, Germany
I do not know if this Atlas is made of stone or plaster. I hope it is made of plaster because the thought of some enormous stone sphere perched atop a building is frightening! Either way, this is a fantastic sculpture.

Atlas Week: Atlas from the Royal Palace of Amsterdam

On this Day in the History of Art: Odysseus returns from the Trojan War (speculatively) (1178 BC), Raphael died (1520), Elisabeth Vigee-Lebrun born (1755), Ford Madox Brown born (1821)

Because the Atlas Shrugged movie just came out I thought it would be fun to post a week of images of Atlas by various artists.

Location: Royal Palace of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

I do not know who sculpted this Atlas from the Royal Palace in Amsterdam but it is nonetheless one of the best depictions of Atlas in my opinion. A similar sculpture in bronze resides above the entrance to the building as well. I am particularly struck by how "Christ-like" this Atlas appears.



Below is a picture of this sculpture within the palace.

Atlas Week: John Singer Sargent's "Atlas"

On this Day in the History of Art: Leonardo da Vinci born (1452), Domenichino died (1641), Charles Wilson Peale born (1741), Ayn Rand and Frank O’Connor marry (1929), Atlas Shrugged movie released (2011)

Because the Atlas Shrugged movie is coming out today I thought it would be fun to post a week of images of Atlas by various artists from history starting with my favorite artist, John Singer Sargent.

Nationality: American
Born/Died: 1856-1925

Creation Date: 1922-1925
Size: 10 ft. diameter (307.3 cm)
Media: oil on canvas
Location: Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Massachusetts, USA



This is one of my favorite depictions of Atlas and when considering the "Atlases" of Atlas Shrugged, it's fitting that he is surrounded by sleeping people. I also like how the circular format fits the design of the Atlas' sphere because in some depictions of Atlas the strong curve of the sphere is disjunctive with the rest of the composition. Unlike the Atlas of Atlas Shrugged, this Atlas is holding up "the heavens" instead of the Earth.

Baron Franz von Stuck's "Atlas Holding Up the World"