Atlas in Arcevia, Italy

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In ancient Greek mythology, Atlas was a Titan who bore the weight of the sky. He and his brother Menoetius sided with the Titans in their struggle against the Olympians during the Titanomachy. When the Titans were defeated, many of them, including Menoetius, were imprisoned in Tartarus, but Zeus condemned Atlas to stand at the western edge of Gaia and hold up the heavens on his shoulders to prevent the Earth from resuming its primordial union with the sky. Thus, he became known as Atlas Telamon, "enduring Atlas," and was associated with Coeus, the personification of the celestial axis around which the heavens revolve. A common misconception today is that Atlas was forced to carry the Earth on his shoulders, but classical art depicts him holding the celestial spheres, not a globe. The Farnese Atlas, a renowned marble sculpture, may have contributed to this misunderstanding, as its solidity reinforced the notion of Atlas carrying a massive weight. However, in the 16th century, the term "atlas" began to be used to describe a collection of terrestrial maps, further blurring the distinction between the mythological and geographical connotations. One of the Twelve Labors of the hero Heracles was to retrieve some golden apples from Hera's garden, tended by Atlas' daughters, the Hesperides, and guarded by the dragon Ladon. Heracles approached Atlas and offered to bear the weight of the heavens while Atlas retrieved the apples from his daughters. However, upon his return with the fruit, Atlas attempted to trick Heracles into carrying the sky permanently by offering to deliver the apples himself, citing the rule that anyone who intentionally took on the burden would have to carry it forever or until someone else relieved them. Heracles suspected that Atlas did not intend to return and pretended to agree to Atlas' proposal, asking only that Atlas take back the heavens for a few minutes so Heracles could rearrange his cloak as padding on his shoulders. When Atlas set down the apples and took the heavens upon his shoulders again, Heracles seized the opportunity to snatch the apples and make his escape. In some versions of the myth, Heracles instead built two great pillars to hold the sky away from the Earth, liberating Atlas in much the same way he freed Prometheus. Bruno D'Arcevia is a painter associated with the Mannerist movement, which emerged in Italy during the early 16th century. As one of the founders of this artistic movement, D'Arcevia collaborated with critic Giuseppe Gatt to revive the great tradition of Renaissance painting and techniques of sixteenth-century Mannerism. The group's primary objective was to recover the lost art of traditional painting and promote a renewed and fruitful artistic season. The crisis of representation in modern art had led to a decline in interest in traditional painting, but D'Arcevia and his colleagues sought to revive this medium by using brushes and traditional materials. Their techniques, which included oil on canvas, engraving with etching, and fresco, were characteristic of the great tradition of Mannerist art. D'Arcevia's work is notable for its use of classic themes from mythology and religious subjects. He exhibited his paintings at the Galleria Apollodoro in Rome, which became a hub for the Mannerist movement and a reference point for contemporary artists. This object is part of "Scan The World," a non-profit initiative launched by MyMiniFactory to create a digital archive of fully 3D printable sculptures, artworks, and landmarks from around the world. Scan The World is an open-source community effort that allows individuals to contribute their own creations to the database. If you have interesting items you'd like to share, email stw@myminifactory.com to learn how you can participate. This object was scanned using photogrammetry and processed with Agisoft PhotoScan.