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The body of the work consists of 205 alphabetically arranged subject entries. While most of them represent mythological persons, other subjects are included (e.g., Trojan War, Bacchanalia). Some stories and characters from classical literature as opposed to mythology are included (e.g., Lysistrata), but Reid excluded historical subjects and allegorical personifications. Subject headings use the Greek mythological name (e.g., Aphrodite rather than Venus). See references lead the reader from Roman to Greek names. Longer subject entries are divided into subentries. For example, Prometheus has the subentries Prometheus the Creator, Prometheus Bound, and Prometheus Freed.
Each subject entry and subentry begins with a headnote several paragraphs in length that describes the subject and its place in classical mythology. Reid summarizes the subject's activities, clarifies terminology and nomenclature, and describes differences in the Greek and Roman traditions. Headnotes also address any frequently used representations of the subject, such as the image of Narcissus gazing at himself in a mirror. Headnotes conclude with citations to the subject in classical literature, suggestions for further reading, and see also references to related subject entries.
Lists of artwork follow the headnotes. Reid attempted to "cover comprehensively both the work of the most important artists of the Western tradition, even those whose interest in classical subjects was minimal, and the work of lesser artists who created mythological subjects extensively." Artists who dealt with mythological studies extensively include Dante, Chaucer, Shakespeare, Nicholas Poussin, Handel, and Shelley. Contemporary artists are well represented and include such surprises as Erica Jong, Margaret Atwood, Helen Frankenthaler, and Martha Graham. Individual works are listed in chronological order, regardless of medium. Multiple works by a single artist (e.g., Picasso's numerous representations of the minotaur) are grouped together and inserted into the chronological listing according to the date of the earliest piece.
Each entry includes the artist's name and dates, title, genre or medium, date of execution or first performance, and, as appropriate, performance or publication data, locations of works of visual art, and versions, revisions, translations, and other associated works. The sources Reid used to identify the work are listed at the end of the entry. For the visual arts, catalog, plate, or figure numbers are included. A citation to a literary work itself is often given as a source. A "List of Sources" at the end of the second volume provides complete bibliographic citations.
Satyrs and Fauns is an example of the interdisciplinary nature of the listings. It begins with an entry for a drawing by Renaissance artist Jacopo Bellini and concludes with an entry for a 1982 photomontage by Giulio Paolino entitled The Marble Faun. Also listed are Michelangelo's Head of a Faun; paintings by Rubens, Dali, and Picasso; sculptural works by Rodin and Paul Manship; a dance of satyrs in Shakespeare's A Winter's Tale; Debussy's composition L'Apr{Š}es-midi d'un faune and choreography by Nijinsky for the same piece; Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Marble Faun; and poems by Ezra Pound and Sylvia Plath.
The set concludes with an index of artists providing dates, nationality, disciplines, and references to the entries and subentries within which their work is listed.
The Oxford Guide to Classical Mythology in the Arts will become an indispensible source for tracking classical influence in all fields of artistic endeavor. Its interdisciplinary approach makes it valuable for scholars in many fields. It is an essential purchase for academic and large public libraries.
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