Minotaur

Inspired by the recurring theme in Surrealist art today's post will be focusing on the Minotaur myth.
The Minotaur is the child of Pasiphae and either a sacred bull of the god Poseidon or Zeus in the form. Naturally the Minotaur was born with the head of a bull and the body of a man, his name was Asterion.

The Minotaur by George Fredrick Watts, 1885.

Minotaur Caressing a Sleeping Woman by Pablo Picasso, 1933-34.

The Minotaur was kept in a labyrinth beneath King Minos's (Pasiphae's husband) court and placated with human sacrifices from Athens.

Theseus came to Crete as one of these sacrifices to kill the Minotaur and thus save the people of Athens.

Cover of Weird Tales January 1945, cover art by Margaret Brundage.

Lucky for Theseus, Ariadne (daughter of Minos and Pasiphae) was willing to sell out her half brother. She gave him some string and held onto one end so he wouldn't get lost in the Labyrinth.

Theseus killed the Minotaur.

Theseus and the Minotaur by Chris Harding.

The Minotaur, Steadfast and Persistent by Shag, 1999.

And everyone lived happily ever after... except the Minotaur... oh and Theseus got bored of Ariadne and ditched her on some island. She did meet Dionysus there though and they proved quite the happy couple. I guess that's something.

Magical Creatures of the Human Persuasion

Today we celebrate the weird and wonderful beasts of the world, those magical beings comprised of both animal and human, from centaur to mermaid and anything else the human imagination is capable of creating. Enjoy!

Oedipus and the Sphinx by Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres. (I need a bigger scanner I cut off his foot).

Illustration by drawgabbydraw. You can find more of her imaginative artwork at her Etsy store; http://www.etsy.com/shop/drawgabbydraw, and on her blog; http://drawgabbydraw.tumblr.com/. 

Double portrait of the Chimera and the Sphinx by Louis Welden.

Photograph by Eugenio Recuenco; http://www.eugeniorecuenco.com/.

Painting by Melbourne artist Melissa Haslam, her work can be found at her blog; http://cherryfields.blogspot.com/ and her website; http://www.melissahaslam.com/.

Ulysses and the Sirens by Herbert Draper.

To keep up to date with the words and pictures I'm sharing now head on over to my new website, www.sarahfallon.net.  I'm talking reading, writing and all kinds of daydreamy things.