The Platonic idealist is the man who by
nature so wedded to perfection that
he sees in everything not the reality
but the faultless ideal which the
reality misses…”
- George Santayana (1)
Art is subject to interpretation. Each and every work of art, from theatre, to music to literature, to painting, to statues, can be manipulated by the observer to strike some chord within them; be it positive, negative, or merely just a neutral sense of recognition.
For the purpose of this paper the artwork subject to interpretation are two ancient Greek statues: Zeus throwing a (missing) thunderbolt, cast in bronze, and a marble sculpture of Hermes with the infant Dionysus.
key words-Dionysus, Zeus, Hermes and Greeks
[...] The statue of Hermes with the infant Dionysus is another example of artwork whose use in the education of children is questionable according to the guidelines Plato has set forth. When advocating its educational use, it could be argued that Hermes id holding the grapes out of Dionysus' reach to try to teach him to guide his emotions by reason, thus overcoming his appetitive urges. But, being at the mercy of his impulses and desires stems from the very essence of Dionysus' being; the core of his existence. [...]
[...] It seems that art is not committed to truth at Plato regarded this kind of artistic license as betrayal of fundamental moral obligations and functions” He felt that art should represent the good through the gods who, as the most perfect beings, were ideal role models for children. However, this is not being done properly or not at all it is very unlikely that the children will get the right educational message. Then both they and the state will be harmed” Plato's aforementioned “right educational message” was very specific, having little room for interpretation or compromise. [...]
[...] Zeus's body is a perfect specimen of the ideal Greek male. He has an athletic look with perfectly sculpted muscles flexed in a stance suggesting confidence and power. His powerful stance also suggests endurance. According to Plato, deeds of endurance which are told by famous men, these they (children) ought to see and hear” (Module 3:9). However, Plato believed that the battles of the gods shouldn't be revealed to children because they would be led to believe that fighting was alright because the gods, their perfect role models, fought. [...]
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