Gustave Moreau is a renowned Symbolist who invoked the motifs of ancient myths in his works. An example of such a work is Jupiter and Semele , which he painted in 1985 in France (Smith par. 1). The story expressed on the canvas originated from Ancient Greece, afterward assimilated and revoked by Romans. Namely, Jupiter, the supreme god of the Roman pantheon, fell in love with Semele, a mortal woman, whom he impregnated. His angered wife, Juno, tricked Semele into pleading with Jupiter to reveal his genuine appearance before her. This wish was fulfilled, yet the divine nature of Jupiter’s emanation was above the limits of what a human can perceive and suffer, so Semele died, and her child was cut out of her body. Moreau’s work depicts this tragic plot and indicates the theme of the difference between humans and the divine by portraying Jupiter and Semele on the border of heaven and the underworld.
The mentioned piece of art might seem somewhat baroque because of the excessive sumptuous details. The central figure in the painting is giant Jupiter with luminous thunders haloed over his head. He sits on a throne, enriched with Eastern-style figurines and jewel-like flora, and holds frightened Semele, who bleeds and looks like a marble statuette. Above the god, giant columns penetrate the heaven; in the down part, various divinities and phantasmagoric creatures abide. Nearby Jupiter’s throne, Moreau placed an eagle, two struggling females, and a fawn, which would be identified later in the work. Although there is a clear symmetric composition of the painting, its multiple elements make it difficult to discern the dominant images.
Indeed, the central detail might be said to be Jupiter’s enormous body and visage. He wears countless ornaments and gems, as well as symbolic objects of various cultures: for example, Indian lotus and Egyptian scarab. These artifacts might signify the despotic nature of the heavens’ sovereign, similar to that of the Eastern rulers and Egyptian pharaohs. Moreover, the stern and penetrating gaze, aimed at the viewer of the painting, demonstrates the resolute spirit of the god. Hence, in Jupiter, Moreau portrayed the saturated divine essence, which is all-powerful and looming over humans.
Next, Semele is highlighted by the whitish color of her skin and gown; she is also a dominating detail. Her appearance contrast with that of Jupiter: she is almost nude, with only some cloth laying on her leg. This image symbolized the nakedness of humans before the god, which is most likely Christian God, although Moreau uses symbols unrelated to Christianity. The newborn Dionysus, who is dispatched from Semele already, as seen by the blood of her body, is often compared to Jesus. Thus, Semele’s direct interaction with god demonstrates the inability of humans to conceive the divine because of the immense differences between them.
Furthermore, three figures attract the attention of the viewer: the two sitting women and a half-man near Jupiter. From the left, the first female is Death holding a speared sword with blood on it and either covering her face from shame or removing tears with a piece of her dress (Smith). Next to her, Pan with the hooved legs resides; he is another Greco-Roman divinity and a symbol of terror. Finally, the woman in medieval clothes and with a thorn wreath over her head is Pain or Sorrow (Smith). These characters illustrate the stable accompanying states of human living. Thus, one more time, the mortality, suffering, and angst of people are contrasted with God’s realm.
Finally, it is necessary to outline the meaning of the depiction of the upper world and the lower domain. The divine part, which surrounds Jupiter’s throne, is embedded with picturesque architecture, vegetation, and angelic figures appear in it. In turn, the downside of the painting illustrates, for example, Hecate, who was a divine patron of witches and sorcerers. The other winged or haloed divinities and creatures are also present. This is probably the human world, full of evils and unknown threats. This place and the heavens intersect with each other, indicating a connection between the divine and mortal.
The other theme depicted in the work and connected to the contrast between human and divine might be rebirth. Namely, the death of Semele followed by the birth of Dionysus is the symbol of the uninterrupted cycle of life. Moreover, Dionysus is also considered a god, which means that although the differences between the two worlds are immense, they still have a connection and are interrelated. Hence, whatever cruel and non-benevolent God might be, he is still present in the lives of people.
To conclude, Gustave Moreau’s Jupiter and Semele is a complex composition with a meaning that is not clearly defined. However, this paper demonstrates that the dominant symbols and elements of the painting all play role in contrasting human and divine nature. Thus, Moreau’s presentation of the ancient myth has a completely new sense from the original plot, somewhat affected by Christianity, although depicted with Eastern aesthetics.