From ancient gods and goddesses to timeless heroic narratives, classical myths have long shaped artistic expression—but how do these age-old stories resonate in modern and postmodern art? Art historian Jennie Hirsh explores the surprisingly vital and often overlooked role of classical mythology in contemporary art, showing how artists use these stories not just to illustrate, but to engage with questions of identity, power, gender, and society.
Hirsh highlights works by Cy Twombly, Yayoi Kusama, and Felix Gonzalez-Torres to show how classical narratives are reimagined from a contemporary perspective. She also considers how mythic structures appear—sometimes unexpectedly—in the work of Roy Lichtenstein and Tracey Emin, revealing hidden patterns and meanings across more recent artistic practice. Hirsh examines how myth provides a creative lens for understanding art itself, looking at works by Bill Viola and Francis Alÿs to show how these enduring stories continue to illuminate both artistic expression and critical interpretation today.
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