My blogging friend Phil Cooper recently posted a wonderful sculpture by Michael Ayrton depicting the Minotaur. Although Ayrton seems little known here in the States, he is a master at depicting the pathos of the myth (follow this link for images); follow this link for Phil’s wonderful work .
The presence of Phils’s work and that of Ayrton come at a moment when I am preparing to write a final short paper comparing Minotaur depictions, recalling ancient depictions,Ayrton, Blake, Picasso, Remedios Varo and others, I was inspired once again to try to depict the complexities of the unfortunate beast. The following is a link of previous attempts, here.
Theseus and the Minotaur
colored pencils, charcoal
I imagine I will continue to find inspiration from the Minotaur time and again. Each time I feel I am closer, but I’m still floundering
I’m going to close with a video clip of Jorge Luis Borges’ deeply moving SHORT story The House of Asterion. It is a-maze-ing!
Until next time, take care, LG
Boondocks Babylon 
i love your minotaur, such a complex blend of human and animal, very forceful! the paper sounds like it would be fascinating, maybe you would post it here, as well?
I was thinking of posting the paper here, it easier and less stressful to write a post than an actual paper-psychologically I feel freer.So look for it end of July.
Great rendition of the minotaur, one of the most ‘human’ depictions I’ve seen. So many interpretations of this creature – including many that I really love – show the Minotaur as all massive bull head, and the male human body as proportionally much smaller. You’ve reversed this pattern to great effect, and I love the way you’ve used the possibilities to focus on the pose of the Minotaur’s body which is so expressive and full of pathos. Thanks for posting (and for the link to my first foray into this subject); I’m exploring this myth myself at the moment as you know, after meeting a Michael Ayrton Minotaur in London recently, and you’ve made me think about it a whole lot more and opened up new possibilities.
That Borges piece is extraordinary, it’s haunting me!
You are correct and I hadn’t really noticed. I have been playing with anatomical scale in my sketches lately-inspired by the Greeks with their strangely small yet quite beautiful heads. So I guess that exploration appeared without my noticing in this more finished drawing.
Looking forward to seeing the fruits of your own exploration, I admire what I have seen thus far.
And yes, that Borges piece is stunning, I need to read more of his work, I confess I haven’t before now. Thank you friend for me for the intro.
Len
This reminds me of the Minotaur (of sorts) that I ran into in the olive grove next to the palace at Knossos. I’ll tell you the story someday, if you care to hear it….
What do you think?! Of course I want to know (:
This is really splendid. I love how the bodies talk, the way the scene is composed, and actually, everything is perfect really. Seeing this and listening to the Borges story have just made this story ever so much more appealing! Good luck with your paper!!
Thank you, I am always thrilled when you comment, your observations mean a lot to me, particular like “how the bodies talk”. The body is essentially what interests me most.It is what we have. I’m glad you felt it synthesized well with the Borges piece that was my intention but Borges is such an elegant master, daunting .