Gods in Art: Saturn/Cronus

I became fixated on a particularly dark painting recently, or more re-fixated. This piece is Saturn Devouring his Son (1819) by Francisco de Goya. It made me consider the various ways the gods are represented in art. They are shown in a godly way, shown as all powerful and to be feared beings. And on the other side we can see them depicted as malicious beasts. To understand the meanings behind these various depictions we need to know the history and story of Saturn or Cronus.

In Roman mythology he is Saturn and n Greek mythology he is Cronus, not to be confused with Chronos; the personification of time. The story behind him is roughly the same in both cultures. He was the leader and the youngest of the first generation of the Titans. The Titans were the descendents of Gaia/Terra (goddess of the earth) and Uranus/Caelus (god of the sky). Saturn/Cronus was the god of agriculture, justice, and strength. He was the deity of the harvest and often it is attributed for him to be holding a sickle in his left hand and a bundle of wheat in his right.

Gaia/Terra asked for help from Saturn/Cronus because Uranus/Caelus was placing some of his children under the earth, as he hated them - mainly the children with the fifty heads. Saturn/Cronus waited for his father and castrated him with his sickle. Fro the blood sprang forth the Giants, a fourth race of monsters, and the Furies whose purpose was to punish the sinners. They are referred to as "those who walk in the darkness". Aphrodite/Venus emerged where the member was cast into the sea.

As he desposed of his father he became ruler of the universe. He reignd with her sister, Ops/Rhea, who he also married, One day it was prophesied that he would lose power when one his children would rise up and kill him. To prevent this from happening he would swallow each of his children following their birth. Upon the birth of their 6th child, Jupiter/Zeus; he was spirited away to the island of Crete and Ops/Rhea placed a stone in swaddling cothes and tricked him into swallowing it. As Jupiter/Zeus grew up he was taken care of and aided by his grandmother Gaia/Terra. Once he reached adulthood he secured a job as cup-bearer to Saturn/Cronus and gave him a potion that caused him to vomit up Saturn/Cronus's five siblings; Vestia/Hestia, Ceres/Demeter, Juno/Hera, Pluto/Hades, and Neptune/Poseidon.

This started a war that nearly destroyed the universe. It ended with Saturn/Cronus being defeated and him and his brother being imprisoned in Tatarus, a dark region at the end of the earth. Jupiter/Zeus then took the throne and ruled. Another myth ends with Saturn/Cronus fleeing to Rome and establishing the Golden Age.

The myth and legend behind Saturn/Cronus paints various pctures about him. First he seems caring by helping his mother and siblings with the murder of his father, but it seems as though it was done to though selfish means. Then he becomes monsterous as he devours his children. And there there is the possibilty of him becoming a great leader in Rome. These conflicting views sotimes lead to confusion in how to show him in art but each artist figures out he wants to exemplify this god.

This is Cronus and Rhea (475 - 425 BCE) attributte to the Nausicaa painter. It is painted on a greek vase. Here we see Rhea handing over the stone for Cronus to swallow. This trickery among the gods is not umcommon in legends and is often depicted in the art world, but this story is the most commonly reference one. There is another depiction done in a relief sculpture.
This is Kronos and Rhea (Kronos is another accepted spelling). Artist is unknown.

Rhea is considered somewhat of a heroine for this. Had he known what might have he done?

He isn't aways shown this way, he often shown on his own as well.
This is Saturnus (1546) by Caravaggio. It is a drawing and shows him as a god; strong and powerful. This is a piece where Cronus/Saturn is exalted and adored. It looks similar to many of the statues adorning the Temple of Saturn located at the western end of the Forum Romanum, the heart of the commerce for ancient Romans.

This place is often visited during the festival of Saturnalia in ancient Rome.

The most interesting of pieces depicting Saturn/Cronus are the ones showing him as the mosterous being I imagine him to

be. Here we see Saturn Devouring his Son (1819) by Francisco de Goya. I love that here he seems primative and horrific. He grasps he body and literally tears it limb from limb. The blood and he look on his face is captivating. There is some weaknes in him eventhough he is the one devouring his son. It is as if he is completely fueled by fear. His twisted body and wide eyes leave me feeling uncomfortable, but I can't look away.

All in all, no matter how he is shown the general feeling is always the same, one of fear and power.