This MA thesis centres on comparative analysis of female mythological characters in selected works by Jean Racine and Nicolas Poussin as well as on an investigation of possible parallels between the two artists. The first part is dedicated to Racine and his tragedies Phèdre and Andromaque. At the outset it focuses on his attitude to the Classical tradition, which is characterized by a thorough reading and an in-depth analysis of ancient authors. The tragic view of the world, which reflects the influence of Jansenist determinism, is key to understanding Racine's theatre. Literary heroes are doomed, unable to control their passions, which leads to their tragic end. In particular, the thesis underscores Racine's opposition between active female and passive male characters and proposes a more nuanced interpretation of this phenomenon. In the following paragraphs, the tragedies of Phèdre and Andromaque are analysed in some detail paying special attention to the female characters and their relationships. The first part of the study concludes with a short excursus that surveys some of the especially telling depictions of the titular heroines on the ancient Roman sarcophagi.
Summarily discussing Nicolas Poussin’s specific approach to Classical antiquity, the second part focuses on those of his early works that depict famous mythological lovers. As was the case with the heroines portrayed in Racine’s plays, a number of Poussin’s female characters seem to also assume comparably dominant roles. (Earlier scholars were seeking an explanation for this peculiarity in the vicissitudes of the painter’s private life, even though it was more likely determined by the particular preferences of his sophisticated Roman patrons.) Three paintings dating from the 1630s are examined in some detail: Selene and Endymion (Detroit Institute of Art, Detroit), Cephalus and Aurora (The National Gallery, London) and Mars and Venus (Museum of Fine Arts, Boston). In these instances, Poussin drew upon well-known and often depicted myths but creatively reinterpreted the standard pictorial narratives in his own original manner. In contrast with the two tragedies of Racine, where the key female characters (Phaedra and Andromache) are mere mortals, all three women protagonists in the aforementioned paintings by Poussin are immortal goddesses.
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