In this issue, we continue to talk about a forgotten goddess in ancient Greek mythology, Princess Andromeda.
Renaissance artists made her image popular, but they chose not to depict her colors because there was so much ambiguity in it. This begs the question, if she were like the average person, would Andromeda be described as such? Was her genocide the result of prejudice or pure ignorance?
Either way, she has left an unshakable fortune for future generations, ask Hollywood. Why and how to change the narrative? Let's take a look at why both the ancient Greeks and Romans chose to interpret the legend of Andromeda in this way. Let's see why artists portray her in this way in a particular context.
Andromeda
John Bell (1811 - 1895)
Ironbridge Canyon Museum Trust
Ancient Ethiopia was not where we imagine it today – before the 1940s, this modern country was known in English as Abyssinia. This story will be told later. "Ethiopia" is more of a standard term used by the Greeks to refer to the appearance of people from the Kingdom of Kush and its surroundings. Kush was part of Ancient Nubia and was located in what is now known as Northern Sudan.
Assuming that the word "Ethiopia" comes from the Greek word for "burning face," it might be considered racially racist today, perhaps the most indicative of Andromona's miserable identity. The land of Ancient Nubia was once a center of trade, so it is not surprising that the ancient Greeks were familiar with it. These writers may well have realized that over time the region produced multiple dynastic rulers. Perhaps the stories of these rulers sparked the imagination of early Greek mythological recorders, who were undoubtedly drawn to the mysterious exotic South.
Andromeda 1876
Arthur Hill (c. 1829 - 1894)
Russell Court Art Gallery and Museum
Ancient writers, all artists before them, interpreted Andromeda as their assertion that the princess was black. Petrarch, in his 14th-century writings, described Andromeda as the "virgin Bruna" and was not the only one to comment on the color of her skin. He wrote that he wondered "in Ethiopia, why the dark-skinned teenage girl Andromeda attracted Perseus with her beautiful eyes and hair." ”
The ancient Roman poet Ovid, who wrote about the color of Andromeda's skin centuries before Petrarch, may have seen this description when translating Ovid's work: "I may be short, but I have a name that resounds all over the world, and I use this name as my symbol." Although I am not pure white, Andromeda charms Perseus with her native colors. White pigeons usually choose companions of different colors, and parrots prefer black spotted doves. ”
Ovid also advises on how women can become more attractive, and his advice for dark-skinned women is based on the legend of Andromeda: "White is suitable for girls with dark skin; When you walk on Cerifus, dressed in white Andromeda, it looks so charming. ”
Andromeda 1800-1900
Unknown artist
Even the fair-skinned Andromeda, portrayed as a fair-skinned because of Ethiopia's geographic location, has no reason to interpret her ethnicity as white. Some ancient writers believe that "Ethiopia" may have been Indian, or even Phoenician, especially Pliny's work, interpreted as Andromeda from The Palestinian Yopa. This was probably to appeal to the Jopas to help the Romans militarily, so they incorporated the place into a very flattering legend. In any case, Andromeda is not depicted brown as it was in India or the Middle East.
Andromeda in the 1830s
William (1787 - 1849)
Lady Liver Gallery
In addition, Renaissance (and beyond) artists were not uneducated. In fact, the books of ancient philosophers were not only a source of education for them, but also a form of entertainment. In the minds of contemporary historians such as Elizabeth McGrath, there is no doubt that artists are aware of the original descriptions outlined above, among many others. In fact, these descriptions are helpful in terms of their ambiguity.
Some writers have written that despite her dark skin, she is still beautiful—for example, her beauty transcends the "problem" of skin color. Others say she's ugly and not pretty because she's black, but Perseus still loves her. Still others completely ignored her race but said she was unusually white compared to her countrymen – and therefore she was cute.
Perseus and Andromeda, 1870
Gustav Morrow (1826 - 1898)
Bristol Museum
Suppose these words obscure the facts and are reluctant to accept a single identity on the heroine. When the artists later painted scenes of brave white heroes rescuing her, what did they want to say? This question is especially pertinent when we measure the time these visual artworks were created.
From the early Renaissance to the Enlightenment, Europe underwent major economic and cultural changes. The depiction of How Andromeda was created and accepted is a scene of fierce competition for progress. Given the role of the transatlantic slave trade for Europeans over the centuries, a dark-skinned but beautiful Andromeda was not accepted, and that's not to say that all of these artists signed an agreement to uphold the ideals of their time—perhaps they really can't see these two identity markers—beauty and blackness—meaningful together.
Andromeda and Perseus, 1840
So why is Andromeda portrayed as white while her legend points to Africa? In short, because there is a more story to consider. This narrative is very concerned with maintaining the status quo and looking at humans through a hierarchical perspective. Since beauty has always been a precious commodity, it cannot be offered to a deliberately oppressed class. Not to mention, the image of a white man saving a locked-in black woman doesn't seem to be a boost to the story's operability.