Prometheus in the Nineteenth Century
From Myth to Symbol

This book focuses on interpretations of the myth that lead to the Symbolist period and explores the Symbolist understanding of the Prometheus myth. It examines the main projections that were made onto the Prometheus figure, through a study of the artistic works devoted to the Titan.

Introduction From the Beginnings to the Nineteenth Century 1. Archaic' and 'Intermediate' Myths, or the Primitive Constitution of the Prometheus Myth 2. From Antiquity to Christianity 3. Prometheus during the Renaissance and Beyond The nineteenth-century turning point: From myth to symbol 4. Genius and Creation: Johann Wolfgang von Goethe 5. The Romantic Revolution: Byron and Shelley 6. The Mask of the Artist: Victor Hugo, Franz Liszt and Honoré de Balzac Prometheus and the Crisis of Faith 7. Symbolism and Myth 8. The Twilight of the Gods' 9. Prometheus at the Heart of Symbolist Syncretism The Many Faces of Prometheus 10. Gustave Moreau, Prometheus and Jesus Christ 11. The Vitalist Prometheus 12. The Cross-Fertilization of the Prometheus Myth by the Pygmalion Myth 13. Prometheus and the Total Work of Art 14. Conclusion