Ganymedes og ørnen 1752

This terracotta sculpture of Ganymede and the Eagle was made by S. C. Stanley in the mid-18th century. Stanley, a Danish sculptor, takes as his subject matter a mythological story from ancient Greece. Ganymede was a beautiful young man abducted by Zeus in the form of an eagle, to become cupbearer to the gods. The homoerotic elements of this myth made it a popular subject for artists in the 17th and 18th centuries. The story was often interpreted as an allegory for homosexual love at a time when same-sex relationships were heavily stigmatized. The sculpture thus participates in a longer history of classical imagery that challenges social conventions. To gain a fuller understanding of its meaning, one could research the social and sexual norms of 18th century Denmark, as well as the reception of classical mythology within artistic academies. The meaning of art is always contingent on its specific social and institutional context.