A fine carved timber panel depicting the greek goddess Demeter. Signed P.G and dated on the reverse 1967.
Condition: Excellent
Date: 1967
Origin: United Kingdom
History:
Demeter is a figure from Greek mythology and is often associated with agriculture, fertility, and the harvest. She is the daughter of Cronus and Rhea and the sister of Zeus, Poseidon, Hades, Hera, and Hestia. Demeter is best known as the goddess of the harvest and is often depicted with sheaves of wheat or barley.
One of the most well-known myths involving Demeter is the story of her daughter Persephone. According to the myth, Hades, the god of the underworld, abducted Persephone and took her to the underworld to be his wife. Demeter, distraught over the loss of her daughter, caused a great famine on Earth by withholding her blessings on the crops. Zeus intervened and brokered a deal where Persephone would spend part of the year in the underworld with Hades and the rest of the year on Earth with her mother. This myth is often used to explain the changing seasons, with Persephone's time in the underworld corresponding to winter and her time with Demeter corresponding to spring and summer.
Demeter was also honored in various religious ceremonies and festivals, particularly the Eleusinian Mysteries, which were held in the city of Eleusis and were dedicated to the worship of Demeter and Persephone. These mysteries were one of the most important religious rites in ancient Greece, and much of their details were kept secret.
In Roman mythology, Demeter is equivalent to the goddess Ceres.
