THE STORY OF ATLAS A mythological race of giants called the Titans once ruled the Earth. The largest and most powerful of all the Titans was Atlas. He led his people in The War of the Titans, a rebellion against Zeus the King of the Olympian gods, who wanted to control the world. The Olympians won the battle and Zeus punished the Titans by casting them into the depths of the underworld, all except one. Atlas was given the harshest punishment – doomed to hold up the Heavens with his bare hands, bearing the heavy weight of the universe upon his shoulders for eternity. One day the divine hero Heracles (son of Zeus) was ordered by the king to gather some golden apples. However, a fierce, unsleeping dragon called Ladon guarded the apples and any mortal who picked the apples would immediately drop dead. Heracles decided to go to Atlas for help. Atlas agreed to assist him on the condition that Heracles first slayed the dragon. Heracles drew his bow and shot an arrow high over the garden wall. The arrow hit Ladon and killed the dragon. Heracles then took Atlas’s place and held up the Heavens whilst Atlas went to collect the apples. Atlas enjoyed his newfound freedom; he had missed the experience of running and jumping; he felt light and happy and didn’t want to go back to holding up the sky. He planned to trick Heracles into taking his place forever. When Atlas returned he suggested to Heracles that he could take the apples to the king himself: “I have such long legs, I’ll be able to deliver them much quicker than you.” Heracles was incredibly smart (as well as strong) and he knew that Atlas was trying to trick him. “That’s a great idea,” Heracles pretended, “but before you go, please can you hold the Heavens just for a moment whilst I stretch and find a more comfortable position?” “Of course I will,” said Atlas placing the apples on the ground and taking back the universe. Heracles gathered up the apples and started to laugh. He looked Atlas in the eyes and said: “You tried to trick me but I’ve outsmarted you! Goodbye.” Atlas resumed his punishment, doomed to hold up the sky once again. There’s a sculpture of Atlas in the gallery, can you find him? Do you recognise him from the story? In association with the Cottonian Collection at Plymouth City Museum and Art Gallery WINGS, HOOVES AND PAWS CHILDREN’S ACTIVITY BOOK Cover Image - Portrait of Catherine Savery (1693–1774) Artist Unknown c. 1700 Oil on canvas Cottonian Collection © Plymouth City Council (Arts & Heritage) Can you spot the painting of a little girl in the Cottonian Collection? This is Catherine and she’s probably even younger than you! Instead of being painted whilst playing, like your mum and dad probably take photos of you, she looks really serious. This is so she looks important. Can you see what she is holding in her hand? It’s a coral teething stick. People in the 1700s believed that teething sticks were magical! They believed they could scare people away and keep their children safe. Little boys would be painted in dresses too. We can only tell she’s a girl from her very pretty headdress. Acknowledgments With thanks to Plymouth City Museum and Art Gallery and Plymouth University. Special thanks to Emma Philip, Curator of Fine Art and Sara Norrish, Learning Officer for Young People. Additional thanks Kelly Evans and Carina Dewhurst. The Young Explainers Natalie Butler Luke Pitcher Katy Neusten Olivia Davies Mollie Millward-Nicholls Xia Yu Victoria Smith Eleanor Barker Kristin Annus Marie Miranda Katie Palmer
Cottonian Collection - Guide for Children
Apr 02, 2016
Cottonian Collection - Guide for Children Plymouth City Museum and Art Gallery Youg Explainers
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THE STORY OF ATLAS
A m
ytho
logi
cal r
ace
of g
iant
s ca
lled
the
Tita
ns o
nce
rule
d th
e E
arth
. The
larg
est
and
mos
t po
wer
ful o
f al
l the
Tita
ns w
as A
tlas.
He
led
his
peop
le in
Th
e W
ar o
f th
e Ti
tans
, a r
ebel
lion
agai
nst
Zeus
the
Kin
g of
the
Oly
mpi
an g
ods,
w
ho w
ante
d to
con
trol
the
wor
ld. T
he
Oly
mpi
ans
won
the
bat
tle a
nd Z
eus
puni
shed
the
Tita
ns b
y ca
stin
g th
em
into
the
dep
ths
of t
he u
nder
wor
ld,
all e
xcep
t on
e. A
tlas
was
giv
en
the
hars
hest
pun
ishm
ent
– do
omed
to
hold
up
the
Hea
vens
with
his
bar
e ha
nds,
be
arin
g th
e he
avy
wei
ght
of t
he u
nive
rse
upon
his
sh
ould
ers
for
eter
nity
.
One
day
the
div
ine
hero
H
erac
les
(son
of
Zeus
) w
as o
rder
ed b
y th
e ki
ng
to g
athe
r so
me
gold
en
appl
es. H
owev
er, a
fier
ce,
unsl
eepi
ng d
rago
n ca
lled
Lado
n gu
arde
d th
e ap
ples
an
d an
y m
orta
l who
pi
cked
the
app
les
wou
ld
imm
edia
tely
dro
p de
ad.
Her
acle
s de
cide
d to
go
to
Atla
s fo
r he
lp. A
tlas
agre
ed
to a
ssis
t hi
m o
n th
e co
nditi
on
that
Her
acle
s fir
st s
laye
d th
e dr
agon
. Her
acle
s dr
ew h
is b
ow
and
shot
an
arro
w h
igh
over
the
ga
rden
wal
l. Th
e ar
row
hit
Lado
n an
d ki
lled
the
drag
on. H
erac
les
then
too
k A
tlas’
s pl
ace
and
held
up
the
Hea
vens
w
hils
t Atla
s w
ent
to c
olle
ct t
he a
pple
s.
Atla
s en
joye
d hi
s ne
wfo
und
free
dom
; he
had
mis
sed
the
expe
rienc
e of
runn
ing
and
jum
ping
; he
felt
light
and
hap
py a
nd d
idn’
t w
ant
to g
o ba
ck t
o ho
ldin
g
up t
he s
ky. H
e pl
anne
d to
tric
k H
erac
les
into
tak
ing
his
plac
e fo
reve
r.
Whe
n A
tlas
retu
rned
he
sugg
este
d to
H
erac
les
that
he
coul
d ta
ke t
he a
pple
s t
o th
e ki
ng h
imse
lf:
“I h
ave
such
long
legs
, I’ll
be
able
to
deliv
er t
hem
muc
h qu
icke
r th
an y
ou.”
Her
acle
s w
as in
cred
ibly
sm
art
(as
wel
l as
stro
ng) a
nd h
e kn
ew t
hat
Atla
s w
as t
ryin
g to
tric
k hi
m.
“Tha
t’s a
gre
at id
ea,”
Her
acle
s pr
eten
ded,
“bu
t be
fore
you
go
, ple
ase
can
you
hold
the
H
eave
ns ju
st fo
r a
mom
ent
whi
lst
I str
etch
and
find
a
mor
e co
mfo
rtab
le p
ositi
on?”
“Of
cour
se I
will
,” sa
id A
tlas
plac
ing
the
appl
es o
n th
e gr
ound
and
tak
ing
back
the
un
iver
se. H
erac
les
gath
ered
up
the
app
les
and
star
ted
to
laug
h. H
e lo
oked
Atla
s in
the
ey
es a
nd s
aid:
“You
trie
d to
tric
k m
e bu
t I’v
e ou
tsm
arte
d yo
u! G
oodb
ye.”
Atla
s re
sum
ed h
is p
unis
hmen
t,
doom
ed t
o ho
ld u
p th
e sk
y on
ce a
gain
.
Th
ere’
s a
scu
lptu
re o
f Atl
as in
th
e ga
llery
, ca
n y
ou
fin
d h
im?
Do
yo
u r
eco
gn
ise
him
fro
m
the
sto
ry?
In asso
ciation
with
the
Co
tton
ian C
ollectio
n at
Plym
ou
th C
ity Mu
seum
an
d A
rt Gallery
WINGS, HOOVES AND PAWSCHILDREN’S ACTIVITY BOOK
Cover Im
age - Portrait o
f C
atherin
e Savery (1693–1774)
Artist U
nkn
own
c. 1700 O
il on
canvas
Co
tton
ian C
ollectio
n ©
P
lymo
uth
City C
ou
ncil
(Arts &
Heritage)
Can you spot the painting of
a little girl in the Cottonian
Collection? This is C
atherine and she’s probably even younger than you! Instead of being painted w
hilst playing, like your mum
and dad probably take photos of you, she looks really serious. This is so she looks im
portant.
Can you see w
hat she is holding in her hand? It’s a coral teething stick. People in the 1700s believed that teething sticks w
ere magical!
They believed they could scare people aw
ay and keep their children safe.
Little boys would be painted in
dresses too. We can only tell
she’s a girl from her very
pretty headdress.
Ackn
owled
gm
ents
With thanks to P
lymouth
City M
useum and A
rt Gallery
and Plym
outh University.
Special thanks to E
mm
a Philip,
Curator of Fine A
rt and Sara
Norrish, Learning O
fficer for Young People.
Ad
ditio
nal th
anks
Kelly Evans and
Carina D
ewhurst.
Th
e You
ng
Exp
lainers
Natalie B
utlerLuke P
itcherK
aty Neusten
Olivia D
aviesM
ollie Millw
ard-Nicholls
Xia Yu
Victoria S
mith
Eleanor B
arkerK
ristin Annus
Marie M
iranda K
atie Palmer
Cottonian Challenges
Please look with your eyes and not with your hands!
1. Can you find the little bronze statue of the Centaur? The Centaur is a mythical beast. Can you see that he is half man, half horse? Try creating your own mythical animal and draw it in the frame. Will it have the head of a lion? Or maybe even the body of a pig?! Does it have any special powers?
2. Look around our collection. How many paintings of angels can you see? Can you spot them all?
3. Can you find the piece of furniture in the gallery with lion’s paws and a tail?
4. Find the bronze statue of Samson tearing open the jaws of a lion. Circle the words that best describe this scene:
Brave Happy Strong Sleepy Fierce Peaceful
5. Flora was the Roman Goddess of flowers. Her husband, the west wind, gave her a garden filled with beautiful flowers. Why not try to create your own beautiful flower garden when at home? Try using paint, crayons or even collage materials you may have.
6. Learn some sign language! Here’s how to say three words…
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