The Centaur's Smile: The Human Animal in Early Greek Art (review)

The Centaur's Smile is a richly illustrated, annotated catalogue of an exhibition on human-animal Mischwesen, or composite creatures, such as the centaur and sphinx. The chronological range is ca 750 to 450 BCE, the period in which the Greeks were experimenting with many aspects of their culture, including the formulation of a cosmogony, as well as the mythology and iconography to explain the interrelationships between mortals and supernatural forces. The Greek artists turned to the Near East and Egypt, as well as their own imaginations, to illustrate elements of their belief system. Mischwesen began to appear (or reappear) as regular motifs in Greek art, used for decoration, as symbolic guardians or apotropaic devices, or to give form to the monsters of oral tradition.

The catalogue proper consists of clear colour photographs of the one hundred objects in the exhibition, some previously unpublished. There are representative Greek examples in a variety of media, possible Near Eastern models, and a few Etruscan adaptations. Each object is accompanied by traditional art historical analyses, discussions of the iconography, and bibliography. Provenance tends to be based on stylistic rather than archaeological evidence.

Is it really possible to determine the 'core significance' of Mischwesen? This issue is particularly pressing when there are, as here, complex sequences of transmission and evolution. The three introductory essays do an admirable job of raising the essential questions: the function of Mischwesen in their original and/or Greek cultural contexts (decorative, symbolic, mythological); the transmission of ideas as well as images; the question of foreign inspiration versus indigenous imagination; and, the social, artistic, and literary factors that affect choice, meaning, and the development of characteristic features.

J. Michael Padgett's essay on centaurs and satyrs duly considers the respective contexts in which each of these hybrids evolved. Padgett argues that, despite sharing horse and human components, and an 'aggressively masculine' character (notably an insatiable desire for wine and women), conceptually they had little in common. The centaur was a noble creature, with 'manly qualities of courage and comradeship,' whose earliest manifestations in non-narrative or obscure contexts may represent 'aristocratic social values.' The satyrs, however, were deliberately conceived as models of antisocial and uncivilized behaviour, 'exhibiting the worst traits' of both human and horse.

William A.P. Childs examines Near Eastern composite creatures and evaluates them as potential models for certain Greek Mischwesen. Childs very neatly highlights the necessity for detailed consideration of the chronological, geographical, and cultural contexts when, as here, the iconographic repertoire spans several millennia and incorporates contributions from a variety of cultures with varying degrees of local significance. On the issue of transmission, Childs argues convincingly that the Greeks understood the dual function of Near Eastern Mischwesen - as apotropaic symbols and good luck charms - and adopted these ideas as well as figural elements. He stresses the 'selective adoption' and adaptation of foreign elements, clearly illustrating the strong role of indigenous Greek tastes and traditions. He also indicates the real possibility that some Greek adaptations had more than one model (e.g., griffin), and so illustrates the dangers of relying on - or looking for - a single model for Greek hybrids (and, by extension, any of the images and ideas being incorporated into Greek society during this period).

Despoina Tsiafakis surveys the Siren, Sphinx, Gorgon, Minotaur, Acheloos, Typhon, Triton, and Pan. While underscoring the demonic aspects of these hybrids and their associations with death, Tsiafakis does acknowledge their multiple functions, nicely complementing Childs's discussion. Consideration is given to chronological, regional, and literary factors affecting interpretation, as well as to the experimental nature of the earliest manifestations. Pan seems out of place here, being a product of the fifth century, non-demonic and not associated with death or the underworld; perhaps he provides a useful contrast, reflecting the changing ideals of the fifth century when a humanizing trend 'sweetened' many monsters.

This survey of human-animal Mischwesen, accompanied by a comprehensive...