The Daughter of Zeus and his wife Metis, Zeus swallowed his wife when she was pregnant with Athena because of a prophecy that their children might be more powerful then him and dethrone him, Prometheus because of this act split Zeus s head with a hatchet and Athena leapt out fully clad in shield and armor.
The Dryad (above left) MMXII mixed media, Medusa the Gorgon (MMXII mixed media) andDik,Greek goddess of Justice (aka Justintia MMX mixed media)
They may be indeed : for the Apocalypse foretells a yet future sojourn of fallen angels upon earth, an event which will quickly dispel skepticism in regard to the past. But even now the evidence is ample, and may be found, not merely in the Biblical account of the Nephilim, but in the myths of all nations. What significance, for example, are we to attach to the story that Ceres instructed men in agriculture ? Why is music attributed to Apollo, eloquence to Mercury ? Whence arose the legend of the great Titan, who, in defiance of Zeus, expounded the civilizing arts to men, taught them medicine, astronomy, and divination, and stole fire for them from heaven ? Or, again, is there no basis of fact for the catalogue, contained in the mysterious book of Enoch, of arts which the Nephilim are said to have introduced among men ;* no reflection of truth in the appeal of Michael and his companions, when they say ; See, then, what Azazal has done ; how he has taught all wickedness on earth, and has revealed the secrets of the world which were prepared in the heavens ?* The Book of Enoch, ii. 8. t Ibtd., ii 9.
Odysseus on the Isle of the Cyclops
ATraditional style portrait of the artist. [Photo by his son Erich.]
Celebrating our 22nd Anniversary on the World Wide Web 1996- 2018!
Achilles Triumphant andThe Trojan Horse
A Brief introduction to Greek Mythology with a Gallery of New Paintings, Drawings and Pictures of the gods and goddesses of Classical Greek Mythology in traditional oils, contemporary acrylics and cutting edge digital mixed media in the style of the classic illustrators! Newly updated for 2018!
To publish existing pieces of his realistic art, David sells licenses starting at only $99.USD.
Digital TechniquesHistory of DragonsPencil Portraits IStudio PhotographyColored Pencils II
The Hydra and the Golden Fleece
until archaeologists excavated Troy.
The most famous of Greek Heroes, he was son to Zeus and Alcmene, which provoked Hera to wrath sending serpents to kill the infant in his crib. Later in life Hera would strike again sending a madness that would force him to kill his wife and children, resulting in him serving the lord of Argos and performing twelve labors to earn his redemption. after his death he was burned and his divine half was said to ascend to the heavens where he married Hebe, and was reconciled with Hera. The 12 labors included the capture of the lion of Nemea; the Hydra of Lerna; the capture of the stag of Arcadia; the capture of the boar of Erymanthus; cleaning the stables of Augeias; shooting the birds of Stymphalus; capturing the Cretan bull; capture of the Mares of Diomedes in Thrace; taking the girdill of Hippolyte queen of the Amazons; sizing the cattle of Geryon; gathering the Apples of the Hesperides; fetching up the Cerberus from the nether world.
Atalanta was the daughter of Hades and grew up in the wilderness. Once, Artemis, goddess of the Hunt (AKA Diana) was forgotten at sacrifice by King Oineus, and became furious and sent a wild boar that terrorized men, cattle and prevented crops from being planted. Atalanta joined many famous heroes on the hunt. Many of the men were angry that a woman was joining the hunt and several of the men were killed before Atalanta was the first to hit the boar and draw blood.
Mythic creatures…goddesses, nymphs, and mermaids…
Helen of Troywas referred to as The most beautiful woman who ever lived and The Face that launched a Thousand Ships. The Trojan War resulted when Paris, the prince of Troy carried her off during the reign of her husband the Spartan King Menelaus. Here Helen has just seen the sea lights of her husbands enormous amphibious invasion fleet on the horizon. To recover Helen, the Acheans under Agamemnon, brother of Menelaus lay ferocious siege to Troy to no avail for ten years until Hector was killed by Achilles and he by in turn by Paris with a poisoned arrow in his one vulnerable spot – the classic Achilles heel while he rode in his chariot parading Hectors corpse…
England, Canada, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, Germany, France, Monaco, Andorra, Italy, The
Pandora; The first Woman:After Prometheus had stolen fire from heaven and bestowed it upon mortals, Zeus determined to counteract this blessing. He commissioned Hephaestus to fashion a woman out of the Earth and the gods all bestowed upon her their choicest gifts, such as Aphrodites beauty and powers of seduction. Zeus gave her a jar, the so called Pandoras Box secretly containing all the misery and evils of this world. She was forbidden nothing in this world save to open this box. Her curiosity proved too much for her and she opened it, freeing all manner of evil spirits and negative energy. Hope alone remained at the bottom, the lid having been shut down before she escaped.
More illustrations of Titans, Mythical Creatures Demigods, and minor gods and goddesses of Olympus from Homers The Iliad, Appolonius Rhodius The Argonautika, and others…
The Epic Cycle On sale Now from Oxford University Press…
The son of Zeus and Hera he was the god of war, and is often depicted as loving battle for the sake of battle. He was famous for randomly picking a side in a conflict regardless of the justice of one side or another. He would go to war either on foot or in his war-chariot which his two sons Deimos and Phobos (fear and panic) would make ready for him in the Odyssey. His fits of rage were legendary and Zeus despised him.
Aphrodite Urania, was the celestial goddess of pure and ideal love, Aphrodite Genetrix or Nymphia favored and protected marriage, Aphrodite Porne was the goddess of lust and venal love, the patroness of prostitutes. The daughter of Zeus and Dione, daughter of Oceanus she was married to Hephaestus but was also the lover of Aries, the god of war, and had a daughter with him named Harmonia. She was the goddess of all fruitfulness in the human, animal and vegetable worlds; she was depicted as influencing all living things in heaven, earth and the sea even having sway over her fellow gods. She is most commonly known as the goddess of love and beauty.
The Hearth-goddess and daughter of Cronus, she swore to remain a maiden forever after Apollo and Poseidon tried to when her hand. Zeus then bestowed her with the title of chiefly worship of the family Hearth. In later versions she would become the hearth-goddess of the universe and become the personification of earth as the center of the universe. She had no real part in the legends of the gods.
With a background in traditional media including oils, pastels & colored pencils, Howard David Johnson embraces leading edge digital media in the creation of his realistic depictions of fantasy, folklore, mythology, legend, religion, and heroic history. He works in and mixes a wide variety of media * Oil paintings * Acrylic Paintings * Prismacolor Paintings * Drawings * Chalk & Oil Pastel Paintings * Photography * Digital Artistry & Mixed Media *
Her name evolved from a primitive form of the words Earth Mother Demeter appeared above all as goddess of the fruits and riches of the fields. Usually depicted seated and dressed in a long robe with a veil covering the back of her head. She was the corn goddess and wheat and barley were sacred to her. She presided over the harvest and all the agricultural labors that went into it. The eldest daughter of Cronus and sister to Zeus, she was the first devoured to avoid a prophecy of being overthrown by his children and last to be spit up after living with her siblings in his stomach. She was widely worshiped in the pre-historic and ancient worlds and was mother to Persephone, the goddess of Spring during the heyday of Classical Greece.
He was the husband of Aphrodite and partner to Athena in spreading wisdom and culture.) The relation between Hephaestus and Prometheus is in some respects close, though the distinction between these gods is clearly marked. The fire as an element belongs to the Olympian Hephaestus. He is usually depicted pounding molten metal with a hammer but in this painting, I showcase his craftsmanship, artistry and attention to detail.
INDEX of GALLERIES ~ LINKS to LARGER ART
After a lifetime of drawing and painting,Davids Traditional Realistic Art was exhibited in the British Museum in London in 1996, ( 3 years before he got his first computer ) as well as numerous American ones since, such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art.Davids realistic illustrations have made appearances in every major bookstore and game shop chain in America as well as magazines and educational texts and in libraries around the world.
To properly study and even more so to illustrate myth, a large body of esoteric historical, anthropological, cultural, geographic, and architectural knowledge must be mastered; also knowledge of the properties of flora and fauna, and the appearance and habits of wild beasts and birds.
This Art Galleryhas beenhonoredby more than35,000,000 Unique Visitors
TheTITANS,TheOLYMPIANSandTheGREEK HEROES
Howard David Johnson is a contemporary realistic artist and photographer with a background in the natural sciences and history. David works in a wide variety of mixed media ranging from oil on canvas to digital media.
In one of Davids invitations to the Florence Biennale Contemporary Art Exhibition, (a partner in the United Nations Dialog among Nations),UN Secretary General Kofi Anon wrote him:Artists have a special role to play in the global struggle for peace. At their best, artists speak not only to people; they speak for them. Art is a weapon against ignorance and hatred and an agent of public awareness… Art opens new doors for learning, understanding, and peace among nations.
TheMythologyof theAncient Greeks&Romans ~Scroll down for large images…
The son of Zeus and Hera, he was the god of fire and culture. Upon his birth he was cast out of the heavens because of his disability, only to be taken in by the water spirits and later returned. His main role was as that of the smith of the gods making most of their weapons, armor, and tools.
The goddess of the blessed afterlife was also one of the daughters of Hades. She is attributed by some to be the daughter of Persephone but there is no strong proof of this. The blessed afterlife was said to be the opposite of eternal damnation and torment and she was said to be the more forgiving alternative to Thanatos and was said to take part in the journey of souls to the Nesoi Makarioi or islands of the Blessed where virtue in life on Earth would be rewarded for eternity.
Public Domain Music by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky ( 1840- 1893) – Swan Lake
Allthese pieces of art and the textare legally copyrighted and were registered with the U.S. Library of Congress Office of Copyright by the author, Howard David Johnson All rights reserved worldwide. Permission for many academic ornon-commercialuses is freely and legally available by simply contacting the author via e-mail or visiting
The legends of the Mythic Amazons actually have a basis in historical fact according to Herodotus, the Father of History. (The Histories, Book four) He wrote thousands of years ago that the historical Scythian warrior women encountered by the Greeks had the characteristics of the mythical Amazons and they were an amazing tribe of people. (Southern Ukraine, blond haired and blue-eyed according to anthropologists) They wore the same armor as men and used the same weapons but were said to burn the right breast at infancy to make the right arm grow stronger. They procreated with their slaves, who it was their custom to blind so they posed no political threat. These warrior women had to kill at least three men in combat before surrendering their virginityand raising children.
The son of Zeus and Leto his mother was pursued by Hera to the floating rock Delos where he was born under a palm tree because of the when and where of his birth the full and new moon cycles where considered sacred to him. Homer depicted him as a god of prophecy, the sender of plagues, and the god of agriculture. Often referred to for his physical prowess he was said to be the first winner of the Olympic games. Upon his birth he slew the Python bringer of winter and darkness and was found guilty by the gods of murder he was then forced to wander the earth in penance.
One of the three sons of Titan King Cronus, he became the ruler of the nether realm. He was given the helmet of invisibility by the Cyclopes in the Titanomachy, the war between the Titans and the Olympians. After defeating Cronos he was given the underworld to rule, judging over the dead, he is usually depicted as a stern and hard man, it was said that no worship, sacrifice, or pleading could sway his mind once a decision had been made, but he was fair and just in his judgments. He is famous for being given a love potion and becoming enamored with and kidnapping his wife, the spring goddess Persephone who is usually depicted by his side and it was in this setting that he was also known to the Greeks as Pluto the giver of wealth. After a time, his skin was said to have turned gray, but in this painting, I have shown him in the early days of his Subterranean Kingship. His symbols were the snake and Cerberus, the three-headed dog which guarded the Underworld.
This Gallery is dedicated to John William Waterhouse and features music by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky ( 1840- 1893) – Swan Lake
She was the goddess of counsel, of war, of female arts and industries, and protectress of Greek citys. She was commonly depicted with her helmet, the Agies, the round shield with the face of the gorgon on it , the lance, an olive branch, the owl, cock and the snack.
An Introduction to Greek Mythology…
Aeschylus, The Persians, Aeschylus, Prometheus Bound, Apollodorus, Library and Epitome, Apollonius of Rhodes, Argonautica, Book I, Cicero, De Divinatione (On the Divination), Herodotus, The Histories, I, Hesiod, Works and Days Translated by Hugh G. Evelyn-White, Homer, Iliad. Homeric Hymn to Aphrodite, Hymn to Demeter and Hymn to Hermes also by Homer, Ovid, Metamorphoses and Pausanias Plato, Apology and Theaetetus. See free English translations on the web at sites like The Online Medieval and Classical Library, ( The Perseus Project ( Sacred Texts ( and Encyclopedia Mythica (
Click on theseFunEducational Realistic Art Gallery link icons for Two-fisted Tales of VALOR & Frontline Combat featuring Legendary Warriors of History, Knights and ladies of Arthurian Legend, Celtic, Nordic, Asian and Olympian gods & monsters, unicorns, dragons, fairies… and more!
The primary function of these stories was to answer difficult questions about who we are and how we came to be. Another value of myth was to validate social institutions and account for traditions, rites and customs. Primitive cultures often remodeled the older myths to adapt to changes wrought by revolution, war or technology, and usually glossed over the brutality and corrupt motives.
All these images & textare legally copyrighted & were registered with the U.S. Library of Congress Office of Copyright by the author, Howard David Johnson All rights reserved worldwide. Permission for academic and many legal non-commercial uses is freely available by simply contacting the author or visiting
One would think a god such as Apollo, endowed with all the charms of youth, strength, grace, and beauty would find few to resist him. The amorous adventures of Apollo were numerous and legendary, but several of these Olympian goddesses, Oceanids, and nymphs such as Daphne were unwilling. Nor did all mortal women submit to Apollos desires, some sources hint his arrogance, unfaithfulness, and cruelty made him impossible to love in spite of his obvious attributes. He tried in vain to seduce Daphne, the nymph and daughter of the river Peneius, who was as chaste as she was beautiful. When she refused to submit to Apollo, he attempted to ravish her; but she fled. He over-took her and she already felt the eager arms of the Sun god around her when she called upon the venerable Gaea to aid her. Immediately the Earth gaped open. Daphne disappeared, and in her place a Laurel Tree sprang from the ground. Apollo made it a plant sacred to him, and the Laurel wreath worn about the head was a symbol of great honor in Ancient Greece and Rome and is associated with great personal achievement to this day.
Who is American Illustrator Howard David Johnson?
From the dawn of mankind story-telling has been a tool of record-keeping and the Greek civilization was no exception. Around 1100 BC we have records that the Greeks had in place an institutionalized form of story-telling about their gods, heroes, and mortals, almost always taught a moral lesson and always seemed to create a reflection of the heavenly realm in parallel events on Earth.
The Death of Icarus (MMIV mixed media) illustrates a true classic, a myth that speaks an important universal message to every generation a great example of the value of myth and its need for preservation in the modern day…
The Greek Heroes~ & also from Homers The Iliad- Achilles & Patroclas aka The Funeral of Petroclas &Athena, Protector of the Acropolis
He was the Son of Zeus and Maia (a daughter of Atlas), in his earliest role he was the god of fertility, and generally associated with the protection of wild life. With the Iliad he was given the duty of herald of the Gods, as well as the conductor of the dead to Hades. His most common identifying depictions where his winged helmet, winged shoes and his Caduceus or heralds staff.
The daughter of Zeus and Leto the twin sister to Apollo though said to have been born the day before and on a different part of the barren island. She is the goddess of the Moon and the hunt but also chastity and the protector of young men and ladies, this role often put her in conflict with Aphrodite and her brother as well. She was also known as a goddess that would deal death as well as a goddess of purifying and healing powers like her twin. She is often depicted as chasing her brother Apollo around the world through the sky in an endless chase between night and day
Now,The Trojan Horseis one of theLegends of Historyas well… for more art and information on this visit the Legends of History or Spartan Warriors Educational Art Galleries…
What if our Mythologies were true histories and NOT flights of fancy?
The very name, Zeus, from the Sanskrit root Dyaus and the Latin Dies evoke the luminous sky. He was the sky god and awarded himself the heavens upon defeating his father in the war with the Titans.Both the son of Cronus and his ultimate undoing, he would later become the king of the gods and master of Olympus. He was the brother or father of all of the Olympians. He was commonly known for his wrath and his constant infidelities against his sister and wife Hera, the Queen of Heaven, for he loved many goddesses and mortal women. He was commonly depicted in art from the Classical period – robed and enthroned, but in the tales of Greek mythology he was fast to wrath and usually shown as spiteful and petty hurling the master thunderbolt given him by the Cyclopes in the War with the Titans. In my painting I have chosen the Early Greek period shortly after the war.
The Olympians; the 12 principal gods of the Classical World
Presents: Contemporary Mythical Art Galleries
Enter a world of Beauty and Imagination…
The Legends of the Greeks were broken into Three Ages; The myths of origin or the age of the gods, tales about the origins of the world, the gods, and mankind. The age when the gods and mortals interacted closely; legends of early conflicts and consorts between mortal men and women, demigods, and immortals. The age of heroes or the heroic age was a time when Olympian activity on Earth was far less common. The Iliad by Homer was the greatest of these heroic legends and carved in stone the details of Greek Mythology we know to this day, his account of the Trojan War and subsequent events is considered by some scholars to be yet a fourth period. There are myths for every race and culture, this exhibition contains illustrations of the myths of the Greeks and Romans….
My Friends from around the world thus far :
Some of Davids more prestigious clients have included the University of Texas, the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge in England, The Australian Mint, The National Geographic Society, Paramount Studios, Universal Studios, PBS TV, The History Channel, Enslow Educational Publishers, Adobe Photoshop, Auto FX, Tree-Free Greeting, Verizon wireless, Apple IPOD, Doubleday(Random House), Harlequin Top Historical Romances, and the History Book of the Month Club, as well as appearing in periodical publications like Popular Photography, and the Wall Street Journal just to name a few.
Mermaids: The Ascension MMXII mixed media (above left)Neptunes Daughter MMXVI (center)mixed media Merbabies (above right) MMXII mixed media
He was the illicit lover of Aphrodite and was caught by her husband Hephaestus in the act, later being presented to the rest of the gods to be ridiculed.
Classical, Greek and Roman, Myths & Legends. An exhibition of Mythic Art by Contemporary American Illustratorwhose illustrations of Mythology have been published all over the world by distinguished learning institutions and publishers including the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge.
He had many children that were usually savage and cruel like the sea. In his depictions he is usually depicted similar to Zeus but with less majestic calm, he is usually shown with his trident, crafted for him by the Cyclopes which he used to control the seas. He was commonly worshiped by sailors and feared by men of the sea. He married Amphitrite, granddaughter to Oceanus the Titan.
Working in a variety of media David offers his customers a variety of options and more than three decades of experience. As a realistic illustrator he has not only used the computer but has been involved in the development and marketing of software for Adobe Photoshop. Digital art, Colored pencils, Pastels, Mixed media, & also Oil Paintings can also be commissioned for select projects.Digital illustration projects start at D. and group rates are available. David delivers custom made copyright free illustrations & old fashioned customer service when he does work-for-hire.
Mythology as I was taught, is the study of legendary religious or heroic events so alien to what we have seen and heard that we cannot accept them as reality. This explains the choice of the name, the English adjective mythical meaning unbelievable. Of course, these stories were considered to be true at the time by the religiously minded.
ATitan who was said to have created mankind with his own tears, he sided with the Olympians in the Titanomachy, the war between the Titans and the Olympians. Prometheus (who foresees) held a grudge against the Olympians for the destruction of his race. He is most commonly known for stealing fire from the gods and giving it to man,. He is commonly depicted as the protector of mankind often opposing Zeus when his wrath for the mortals would have him wipe them out. Because of Zeuss anger over the meeting of gods and men at Mecone he took fire to the mortals, Zeus had planned to give it to them but his anger over his sacrifice made him withdraw the gift. Prometheus would for his theft be chained to a mountain cliff where an eagle [a symbol of Zeus] would come and eat his liver daily. feeling mankind also needed to be punished for this gift of fire, Zeus created and sent the first woman, Pandora.
Cronus (Aka Saturn) was king of the Titans and forced his wife Rhea to surrender their six children for him to eat alive in vain hopes of breaking a prophecy of being supplanted by them. Zeus and the Olympians escaped and waged a ten year war, The Titanomachy.
Both the sister and wife of Zeus and Olympian Queen of Heaven, she was said to have severe beauty and was usually shown crowned with a diadem and wearing a long tunic with a veil. She had two primary roles in their religion; as the consort of Zeus and queen of heaven, and the goddess that presided over marriage,. She was also the birth-goddess, as well as goddess of flowers who presided over all phases of feminine existence. Hera was said to be modest, the representation of the ideal wife, but still stood out as the most physically beautiful of the Olympians. She is often shown as vengeful and jealous, even leaving Zeus for a time to punish his infidelity. Her sacred symbols were Peacocks with their spangled plumage and a Lotus staff.
The Mythology of the Ancient GreeksandRomans
Poseidonwas, like Zeus and Hades, A son of Cronus, after helping to defeat his father he was given the oceans to rule as his domain. He was also known as the creator of the first horse as well as the bringer of earth quakes, which where usually the result of his anger during a argument over who controlled the land. He sided with Greeks during the war with troy because the Trojans cheated him after he built their wall.
These Mythic Art creations take their inspiration from the realistic paintings of the old masters just as the film West Side Story came from Shakespeares play Romeo and Juliet, who in turn copied it from Pyramus and Thisbe, from Ovids Metamorphoses. Our shared cultural heritage, great works of art, literature, music and drama, cinema, folk tales and fairy tales are all drawn upon again and again by the creators of new works. These works in the public domain are both a catalyst and a wellspring for creativity and innovation. Where would Walt Disney be without the Brothers Grimm Hans Christian Anderson, or Victor Hugo? Where would Aaron Copeland have been without American folk music? Or Thomas Nasts Santa Claus without traditional images of Father Christmas? Pablo Picasso without aboriginal African art? Public domain appropriators, one and all. When America was formed, copyright law was created to promote the public creativity and had 14 year terms to reward the creators, but now with 100 plus year terms very little is currently allowed to enter into the public domain and its preservation is of the utmost urgency to our future cultural well-being.In keeping with art tradition and etiquette following the exhibit , I mention some of the artists and writers that have influenced me the most; William Bouguereau, John William Waterhouse, Ivan Ivanovich Shishkin, Edmund Blair Leighton, Howard Pyle, Arthur Rackham, Arthur Hughes, Dante Gabriel Rosetti, Viktor Vasnetsov, Jean Auguste Ingres, Anthony Van Dyke, Lawrence Alma-Tadema, Wallace Wood, Jack Kirby, Frank Frazetta, Ray Harryhausen, H.G. Wells, Gustave Moreau, William Morris, Henry David Thoreau, Will Durant, The Pre- Raphaelites, The Symbolists, et al.
Are these gods & monsters of Mythology the Watchers, Fallen Angels & Nephilim?
Thank You for Visiting the Paintings of Classical Greek & Roman Mythology Exhibit…
Helen of Troy,Athena Wachter Von Akropolis &Helen and Paris
At last a wooden horse was contrived. Odysseus had masterminded a strategy to break the stalemate…
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The Realistic Art Galleries of Contemporary American Illustrator Howard David Johnson
