David Kent is a British artist whose paintings depict a broad spectrum of subjects, yet mythology has always captured his attention. From this have sprung a wonderful series of paintings: the Mythology Collection. Here we present David’s artwork, with a focus on three of his pieces and the stories behind them.
Theseus and the Minotaur
In many ancient mythologies strange creatures often occur that are part human part animal. The ancient civilizations in the area around the Aegean Sea were often at war with each other. With a cult of bull worship, the great palace that existed on Crete, and the sort of rumours and tales that often accompany wars (brought back by soldiers or traders), it is easy to see how the legend of the Minotaur – half man, half bull – living in a Labyrinth and eating human flesh, develop.
The Last of the Leonidas Warriors (also known as ‘300’, based on the film with Gerard Butler).
The true story of the battle of Thermopylae, where according to scholars, the vastly outnumbered 300 held off an army of 100,000 – 150,000 for several days, and showed legionary bravery.
Scylla’s Story
Scylla is well known to live on one side of a river, opposite the infamous Charybdis, yet her story is a tragic one. In Servius’ commentary on the Aeneid he tell us of her origins. When Poseidon claimed the beautiful naiad Scylla, Amphitrite became incredibly jealous and meted out her wrath. She knew of the spring where Scylla bathed and, poisoning its water, she turned Scylla into a montster.
The Mythology Gallery
David’s mythology gallery depicts a range of stories from classical mythology. More of his work can be seen on his website.
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