The Argonauts in Medieval and Modern Art

The story of the Argonauts' adventure continued to fascinate medieval and modern artists. However, due to the limited information about the myth available in the Middle Ages, medieval and early modern art tended to focus on the loves of Jason, Hypsipyle and Medea, rather than the exploits of the hero. Later art has tended to follow suit, emphasizing the emotionally fraught relationship between Jason and Medea more frequently than the heroic exploits of the Argonaut adventure that were more prevalent in ancient art. The art shown here is a sample of the large amount of medieval, early modern, and modern interpretations of the Jason story.

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