
With spring as our backdrop, we will explore eight timeless myths of gods and mortals—tales of love, transformation, and the changing of seasons—brought to life through Western art. From Psyche and Cupid to Persephone’s return from the underworld, the fleeting beauty of Hyacinth, and the fateful race of Atalanta, these stories symbolize renewal and rebirth, and along with countless other Greek and Roman myths, they have inspired a multitude of works of art. The Metropolitan Museum of Art alone holds over 14,000 related works. This lecture features more than 100 artworks from private collections and over 90 museums, including the Louvre, the Prado, the Tate, and the Met. Join us for a journey through myth and masterpiece, where gods and mortals meet in moments of passion, metamorphosis, and the eternal cycle of nature.