Mary Beard’s mythology trail
Professor of Ancient Literature, Mary Beard, tells the stories behind some of her favourite pieces inspired by classical myths – from Hercules and Venus to lesser-known gods, nymphs and cyclopes.You’ll find all these works on free display in the new permanent collection at the RA. If you are following this tour inside the museum, start at the Burlington Gardens Entra...
15 mins
Stops
Introduction
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1:29
Leda and the swan , mid 16th century; Unknown artist and Rosso Fiorentino and Michelangelo Buonarroti
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2:33
Cast of Laocoön and his Sons (Roman version of a lost Greek original), c.100BC-50AD
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2:36
Crouching Venus
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2:24
Study of the figure of Laocoön, between 1851-1873
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1:14
Cast of the Farnese Hercules, c.1790
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1:52
Phaeton driving the Chariot of the Sun, after 1846
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1:37
The Triumph of Galatea, 1713-15
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2:30
Credits
Produced by The Royal Academy of Arts with Professor Mary Beard. Professor Mary Beard OBE is the Royal Academy’s Professor of Ancient Literature. She is a Professor of Classics at the University of Cambridge and a Fellow of Newnham College. Her books include Confronting the Classics, Women and Power and SPQR and she has presented programmes for the BBC including Civilisations and Front Row Late on BBC2.