The arrival of spring, especially after a hard winter, makes us all happy and hopeful for new life. The ancients believed that the gods were in charge of everything on earth and explained how they gave us the seasons. The Greeks explained the coming of spring and the changing seasons with the myth of Demeter, the goddess of nature, and her daughter, Persephone.
Hades, who was god of the underworld, had taken Persephone to his realm to be his wife. Demeter mourned the loss of her daughter and so did the once-green earth. Nothing grew. The earth was dying without Persephone’s joyful laughter. Zeus had to resolve this.
Zeus agreed to have Persephone return to her mother so the world would not wither and die. Of course, Hades did not want this. The king of the gods made a pronouncement that pleased no one: Persephone would spend half the year on earth and half the year in the underworld.
Frederic Leighton’s painting “The Return of Persephone” (circa 1890–91) gives us the moment Persephone rises from the depths of the dark realm and returns to her mother and the beautiful world above.
Demeter stands at the entrance to the underworld, arms outstretched for her daughter. Her glowing auburn garments anticipate the growing season and harvest. The warm colors also reflect a mother’s love as she awaits her daughter.
The cloud-filled sky above Demeter reflects her glow, as does the entrance to the underworld. She steps as close as she can to the entrance of the dark realm. A sprig of almond blossom at her feet foretells the changing of the seasons.
At the right, Persephone reaches for her mother. Her pale skin and garments are a lighter, faded glow than her time on earth. Every limb stretches toward the light of the earth and her home. The line of Persephone’s figure points to the encircling arms of her mother, ready to embrace her. Head flung back, arms extended beseechingly, she is a daughter who is coming home.
A Season to Celebrate
Today, many cultures celebrate the coming of spring. The Japanese stroll among cherry trees, which blossom at this time, and hang yozakura (lanterns) from the blossoming trees. Spring in Australia occurs in September and residents celebrate for a month. They call their celebration Floriade, which means all things flowers. India’s spring festival is one of riotous color and is sometimes called the “festival of love.”Frederic Leighton (1830–1896) met John Everett Millais and neoclassical artists Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres and Eugène Delacroix during his career. In 1860, he discovered the art of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, and its influence can be seen in the loving and idealistic aspects of this painting.
May spring come soon!
