Adonis\u00a0is the greek god of\u00a0beauty\u00a0and\u00a0desire, and is a central figure in various\u00a0mystery religions. His religion belonged to women.<\/p>\n
There has been much scholarship over the centuries concerning his meaning and purpose in\u00a0Greek religious beliefs. He is an annually-renewed, ever-youthful vegetation god, a\u00a0life-death-rebirth deity\u00a0whose nature is tied to the calendar.<\/p>\n
The painting of Goltzius depicts the best known version of his death:\u00a0Adonis was killed by a wild boar, said to have been sent vicariously by\u00a0Artemis.\u00a0When he died she sprinkled the blood with nectar, from which sprang the short-lived\u00a0anemone, which takes its name from the wind which so easily makes its petals fall.<\/p>\n
Goltzius depicts Adonis also in the pose of the dead Jesus, using the extreme perspective that has been made popular by the italian painter Mantegna in the 15th century.\u00a0Hence he connects antique mythology with christian belief, ancient and contemporary interpretation of rebirth and afterlife.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Adonis\u00a0is the greek god of\u00a0beauty\u00a0and\u00a0desire, and is a central figure in various\u00a0mystery religions. His religion belonged to women. There has been much scholarship over the centuries concerning his meaning and purpose in\u00a0Greek religious beliefs. He is an annually-renewed, ever-youthful vegetation god, a\u00a0life-death-rebirth deity\u00a0whose nature is tied to the calendar. The painting of Goltzius depicts the … Continue reading Dying Adonis<\/span>