Edwina White

I was flicking through the pages of the latest Frankie Magazine last night when I came to an add for the theatre production Pygmalion featuring the above artwork by Edwina White. I was so taken by it (as was my mother) that I jotted down the artists name and proceeded to google her. The results were, of course, pure awesomeness. Here's a taste of what you can find on her own personal website.

Horse Drawn, 2009.

Riding for Children, 2009.

Remembering Isabella Blow, 2007.

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.