Introduction
Art has existed since ancient times as a way in which cultures express their myths, values, and beliefs. In Greek mythology, the pomegranate is an art connected to their goddess Persephone. Based on their myth stories, they claimed that the goddess Persephone was abducted by the underworld god, Hades, who then became her spouse.[1]. The goddess was given pomegranate seeds to eat, which bound the goddess for six months every year in the underworld. Also, in Greek myths, the pomegranate is seen as a symbol of the resurrection in Christianity religion. Aside from the sacred meaning of the pomegranate, it is a plant with flowers and red fruit juice. They are a wide variety of this plant, which is edible and good for the stomach. As the medicinal uses of the plant, it is believed to be good in ulcer treatment. The bark of the roots is considered to treat tapeworm and diarrhea infestation, as some Greek herbalist recommends.
Research aim and objectives.
The research answered the question, Are any aspects of the artwork’s formal qualities, materials used, compositional details, or objects in the painting that are out of the ordinary about other artworks of a similar time/place? How can these distinct characteristics be explained? The research aims to examine the significant aspects within the pomegranate artwork, focusing on the material used, its composition and details, the objects used in the art, and the formal qualities of the art as it is compared with other artwork of the same time and place. The research objective is to find out whether the identified characteristics from the artwork hold any symbolic and cultural significance and how the importance can be explained. The research hypothesized that the artwork’s pomegranate is an ordinary object that stands out in art; it is more than just a red fruit with many seeds; it has to do with the Greek Mythology behind it. Additionally, it connects to why it is displayed on a gravestone.
Methodology
This research used the systematic review design to answer the research question. The study will use past publications within the five years to analyze the pomegranate artwork. The analysis will use the publication with peer-reviewed journals from a well-known electronic database. It will be a thorough assessment of the identified material, the composition details, and the formal qualities of the materials. Also, it will examine the symbolic and the cultural representation of the pomegranate artwork in the greek mythology. It will look at the formal qualities of the artwork, which entails its texture, color, and shape.
Discussion
The research by Spry (2019) holds that Pomegranate fruit art has been featured in many artworks such as the Botticellis work of Madonna of the Pomegranate of 1485, the 1716 art by Ruysch Rachel, the Fruits and Flowers and the Proserprine 1874 artwork by Rossetti Gabriel Dante.[2]. In 1944, the same painting was done by Dali Salvador caused by a bee’s flight. This pomegranate art is mainly interpreted as a fertility symbol. However, the mythology of the Greeks has had many symbols which refer to it as a symbol of beauty and prosperity.[3]. The fruit contains unique colors inside and out to symbolize hope, strength, and prosperity.
Moubayed (2023) asserts that the Greek cultural symbolism holds that while Persephone was picking a flower, the earth below her feet opened, and Hades dragged her to the underworld. The Persephone goddess was instructed not to eat the pomegranate while in the underworld. However, hades, the god, offered him the fruit; she ate out of hunger and consumed some of the seeds; this made Hades tie himself to the goddess forever. Demeter, the mother of Persephone, was the goddess of agriculture who then allowed the crops to die as a sign of mourning for her daughter.[4]. The Demeter abandoned her roles on the land, and during this time, nothing grew on the ground until her daughter returned to her. This was a fatal disaster in the land, which called for Zeus, the messenger god, to intervene, and the goddess had to stay with Hades in the underworld for three to six months of the year while he spent the rest on earth with her mother. It is believed that Persephone’s return to the underworld marks the spring season, and it has become a yearly season. In Greek mythology, the initial intention was for Persephone to avoid eating the pomegranate. However, he found satisfaction from the fruit after consuming it.
The studies by Bezzant (2019) hold that pomegranate is a fruit from history that appeared in the late bronze age but was helpful in the Iron Age. The pomegranate, as a typical fruit, was active in trading among the Syrians and the Israelites. However, in Greece, it was the common fruit accessed by almost every household in the community. The Greeks believed the fruit was connected to the underworld, and in such places, it was cemented.[5]. It was used in the marriage ceremonies to bless the new union to be fruitful and have many children. They believed in the Persephone goddess, to whom they gave offerings on the wedding days for her to bless the couples. Besides, in Judeo-Christian beliefs, it was a fruit that symbolized fertility in the Hebrews.[6]. In the Garden of Eden, the pomegranate was the traditional fruit, which was a sign of hope and everlasting life to humanity.
In conclusion, pomegranate is one of the artworks that has gained attention due to its characteristics and its contribution to culture. The pomegranate is a typical fruit and a symbol in art for centuries. It is believed to symbolize abundance, marriage, and fertility. The fruits still hold symbolism in many religions, even among the Judeo-Christian faith. The pomegranate is one of the sacred and medicinal plants used by the Greeks, which has remained relevant since ancient times.
References
Bezzant, Makayla. “Pomegranate Imagery: A Symbol of Conquest and Victory.” Studia Antiqua 18, no. 1 (2019): 9-15.
Closterman, Wendy E. “Family Ideology and Family History: The Function of Funerary Markers in Classical Attic Peribolos Tombs.” American Journal of Archaeology 111, no. 4 (2007): 633–52. http://www.jstor.org/stable/40025266.
Koreckova, Andrea. “The Ideal of Female Beauty in Greek Tombstone Inscriptions and Writings of Early Christian Authors.” The Biblical Annals 9, no. 66/2 (2019): 397-412.
Moubayed, Anna-Maria. “The Charisma of Fruits: From Greek Mythology to Genesis.” Religions 14, no. 5 (2023): 585.
Spry, Hannah. “Symbolic Seeds: An Analysis of Pomegranate Usage in Selected Artworks of the Past and Present.” Scholarly Horizons: University of Minnesota, Morris Undergraduate Journal 6, no. 2 (2019): 6.
Suter, Ann. The Narcissus and the Pomegranate: an Archaeology of the Homeric Hymn to Demeter. The University of Michigan Press, c2002, 2002.
[1] Suter, Ann. The Narcissus and the Pomegranate: an Archaeology of the Homeric Hymn to Demeter. University of Michigan Press, c2002, 2002.
[2] Spry, Hannah. “Symbolic Seeds: An Analysis of Pomegranate Usage in Selected Artworks of the Past and Present.” Scholarly Horizons: University of Minnesota, Morris Undergraduate Journal 6, no. 2 (2019): 6.
[3] Koreckova, Andrea. “The Ideal of Female Beauty in Greek Tombstone Inscriptions and Writings of Early Christian Authors.” The Biblical Annals 9, no. 66/2 (2019): 397-412.
[4] Moubayed, Anna-Maria. “The Charisma of Fruits: From Greek Mythology to Genesis.” Religions 14, no. 5 (2023): 585.
[5] Closterman, Wendy E. “Family Ideology and Family History: The Function of Funerary Markers in Classical Attic Peribolos Tombs.” American Journal of Archaeology 111, no. 4 (2007): 633–52. http://www.jstor.org/stable/40025266.
[6] Bezzant, Makayla. “Pomegranate Imagery: A Symbol of Conquest and Victory.” Studia Antiqua 18, no. 1 (2019): 9-15.
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