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La survivance des dieux antiques
Depuis le déclin du paganisme au IVe siècle après Jésus-Christ jusqu´au XVII siècle, les dieux grecs ont connu diverses formes de suirvie dans l´art comme dans la pensée. Cet ouvrage montre comment cela s´est produit: changement dans l´apparence, la signification demeurant plus ou moins la même, ou, inversement, nouveaux contenus donnés à une apparence inchangée.
La thèse de Jean Seznec est que la Renaissance, plus que d´avoir fait revivre des formes oubliées, a, sur ce plan du moins réalisé la synthèse de formes et de significations qui n´avaient jamais disparu.
La thèse de Jean Seznec est que la Renaissance, plus que d´avoir fait revivre des formes oubliées, a, sur ce plan du moins réalisé la synthèse de formes et de significations qui n´avaient jamais disparu.
448 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1940
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
September 11, 2011
Jean Seznec’s Survival of the Pagan Gods was originally published in 1940. A number of books since then have explored the role of classical mythology in Renaissance art but this was certainly one of the first to really try to come to grips with the part played by pagan beliefs and philosophies.
While the traditional view of the period (and certainly the accepted view in 1940) was that the Renaissance marked the rediscovery of paganism Seznec advances the theory that the pagan gods never went away. They’re there in medieval art and medieval culture in general, but not always in a form that is instantly recognisable. They became medievalised, if you like. They aren’t depicted in the classical style but their presence is undeniable.
In many cases the gods and heroes of the Greeks and Romans took on quite surprising form. Hercules for example appears in a turban armed with a scimitar. That’s how the Arabs interpreted him, and when Arab learning (especially in areas like astronomy) started to penetrate western Europe he appears in that form in European manuscripts.
Seznec sees the Renaissance as a continuation of the medieval period rather than a dramatic break, and in fact as a continuation of the late Roman period. The view of the gods passed on in this manner is not really a classical view, being based largely on quite late writings. The gods were no longer something to inspire literal belief. They were viewed in three ways - as historical figures transformed into gods, as symbols of cosmic forces, and thirdly as allegory.
This allegorical approach is the single most alienating feature of late medieval and Renaissance art. It resulted in some of the most obscure art works ever produced, paintings that really require detailed program notes in order to be understood. Even at the time it is likely that many of these works defied interpretation. When mystical neo-platonist doctrines were added to the mix the obscurity could become positively terrifying. That however is the nature of so much art of the period. The allegorical meanings were seen as being much more significant than the purely visual aspects.
A fascinating book and one that is happily largely free of jargon (having been written before the horrors of postmodernism ravaged the intellectual life of the west).
While the traditional view of the period (and certainly the accepted view in 1940) was that the Renaissance marked the rediscovery of paganism Seznec advances the theory that the pagan gods never went away. They’re there in medieval art and medieval culture in general, but not always in a form that is instantly recognisable. They became medievalised, if you like. They aren’t depicted in the classical style but their presence is undeniable.
In many cases the gods and heroes of the Greeks and Romans took on quite surprising form. Hercules for example appears in a turban armed with a scimitar. That’s how the Arabs interpreted him, and when Arab learning (especially in areas like astronomy) started to penetrate western Europe he appears in that form in European manuscripts.
Seznec sees the Renaissance as a continuation of the medieval period rather than a dramatic break, and in fact as a continuation of the late Roman period. The view of the gods passed on in this manner is not really a classical view, being based largely on quite late writings. The gods were no longer something to inspire literal belief. They were viewed in three ways - as historical figures transformed into gods, as symbols of cosmic forces, and thirdly as allegory.
This allegorical approach is the single most alienating feature of late medieval and Renaissance art. It resulted in some of the most obscure art works ever produced, paintings that really require detailed program notes in order to be understood. Even at the time it is likely that many of these works defied interpretation. When mystical neo-platonist doctrines were added to the mix the obscurity could become positively terrifying. That however is the nature of so much art of the period. The allegorical meanings were seen as being much more significant than the purely visual aspects.
A fascinating book and one that is happily largely free of jargon (having been written before the horrors of postmodernism ravaged the intellectual life of the west).
January 23, 2022
Oh boy. I found this a slog. Very florid writing and a casual assumption that one can read Latin, French and Italian (sometimes there are translations of quotes but not always).
This book has an interesting thesis - that the Renaissance actually carries on an existing tradition of using classical myth and Gods in art, literature and culture from the Medieval period, rather than being a totally new, rebirth.
But it's a very convoluted book and weirdly awkward in how it expresses itself. And probably could have been a lot shorter
It is FULL of examples and image plates however so gets three stars for being a useful reference text. Which is kinda ironic as one of its big themes is about the use of second hand reference texts rather than the original myths.
This book has an interesting thesis - that the Renaissance actually carries on an existing tradition of using classical myth and Gods in art, literature and culture from the Medieval period, rather than being a totally new, rebirth.
But it's a very convoluted book and weirdly awkward in how it expresses itself. And probably could have been a lot shorter
It is FULL of examples and image plates however so gets three stars for being a useful reference text. Which is kinda ironic as one of its big themes is about the use of second hand reference texts rather than the original myths.
February 12, 2022
Jean Seznec’s Survival of the Pagan Gods was published in 1940, right on the eve of the ill-fated Battle of France. The common view is that pagan gods were forgotten during the Middle Ages (save for the planets / days of the week), only to be rediscovered along with many ancient texts during the Renaissance. Using a large number of artistic examples, Seznec shows convincingly that there was significant continuity from the ancient world into the Middle Ages. Pagan gods persisted throughout the Middle Ages in allegorical form or as the pseudo-deification of historic figures. Often, these gods served as vehicles for ideas so profound that it was not possible to kill them.
While largely jargon free, Seznec writes in a flowery way and seems to assume his audience can read Italian, French, and Latin - translations are provided for some passages but not others, with no logical reason being apparent to me. For those interested in art and religious history this is a fun read, representing the culmination of Seznec’s academic career.
While largely jargon free, Seznec writes in a flowery way and seems to assume his audience can read Italian, French, and Latin - translations are provided for some passages but not others, with no logical reason being apparent to me. For those interested in art and religious history this is a fun read, representing the culmination of Seznec’s academic career.
March 12, 2025
La survivance des dieux antiques est un ouvrage fascinant qui retrace l’histoire des dieux gréco-romains au Moyen Âge et qui a pour but de démentir l’idée reçue que les dieux ont disparu à la fin de l’Antiquité pour renaître à la Renaissance. J’ai beaucoup aimé ce livre parce qu’il traite d’un sujet qui m’intéresse particulièrement en histoire et en histoire de l’art: la reconsidération du Moyen Âge et la Renaissance comme deux périodes qui ne sont pas si différentes l’une de l’autre. Ici, Seznec se concentre plus sur une histoire de la transmission des savoirs que sur l’histoire de l’art à proprement parler. Il étend sa réflexion à des domaines plus scientifiques comme l’astronomie mais aussi à la théologie. L’ouvrage se distingue ainsi par sa diversité et explore avec beaucoup de détails les échanges culturels de l’époque, notamment avec le monde arabe. L’un des atouts majeurs de ce livre est qu’il permet réellement d’apercevoir aux travers des dieux antique une véritable histoire culturelle du Moyen Âge. Le seul problème de ce livre est son caractère assez répétitif qui perd un peu le lecteur.
June 23, 2017
A magical read. Why can't art historians still write like this?
September 16, 2015
Like the Gods of Olympus which I reviewed earlier, this is a book that tracks the gods of antiquity through the centuries. But whereas Graziosi's book is broader and is designed more for the general reader, Seznec's book is more focused on the renaissance and is much more crammed with a dizzying amount of information. This is a book designed for the specialist, so I found it more of an informative read rather than a fun one.
There are many illustrations, but some are not too clear, making it hard to see what the author is trying to point out. Also, be prepared to have google handy when he mentions many places, such as the Cappella degli Spagnuoli. He's not going to be nice and tell you where or what that is exactly.
He quotes many authors too, but in Latin. Some quotes are translated at the bottom notes, but others aren't. I don't know why he translates some, but not others.
So if you really like this field, and can deal with what I wrote above, you will like this book. I personally liked the first half more than the second (because I felt like it was getting repetitive.)
There are many illustrations, but some are not too clear, making it hard to see what the author is trying to point out. Also, be prepared to have google handy when he mentions many places, such as the Cappella degli Spagnuoli. He's not going to be nice and tell you where or what that is exactly.
He quotes many authors too, but in Latin. Some quotes are translated at the bottom notes, but others aren't. I don't know why he translates some, but not others.
So if you really like this field, and can deal with what I wrote above, you will like this book. I personally liked the first half more than the second (because I felt like it was getting repetitive.)
November 2, 2010
if you wish to learn the mythodological tradition and its place in Renaissance Humanism and Art, Seznec's book is a brilliant choice
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews