The myth of Ganymedes in Western art

In first part of our study, the myth of Ganymedes, a young Trojan who was kidnapped for his beauty and made a cupbearer by the gods, is analyzed through the iconography of Ganymedes depictions and discussed through the works produced in Western art from Antiquity to Neoclassicism. The Ganymedes myth and its fiction, which varies according to different sources, are evaluated, and in this context, the works of ancient writers such as Homer, Vergilius, Ovidius and Xenophon, decisive texts about the Zeus and Ganymedes myth and iconography, are examined comparatively. In addition, the singular representations of Ganymedes with no reference to Zeus or the eagle abduction themes are discussed. Examples of Ancient Greek vase paintings, of which Ganymedes is shown alone and carrying a gift of love, and Parmigianino's Ganymedes', in which the youth's calmness is emphasized after his kidnapping, are also discussed in this section. In the second part, the abduction scenes, which constitute the most common type of depiction in the iconography of Ganymedes and Zeus are discussed. The examples of the abduction scenes of Ganymedes, which are within the chronological scope of the study, have been examined iconographically from the Antiquity to the Neoclassical period. On the other hand, the original works of artists such as Michelangelo, Rembrandt, Rubens, and Maes, who reveal 'contrary' but decisive art works in the context of the abduction scenes, are also evaluated in detail within the scope of this section. Finally, in the third part of this study, the scenes where Ganymedes is befriending Zeus (or eagle) in human form, or the duo is shown together with other Olympians are analyzed.