Advertisement

‘Percy Jackson’ poster appears to take cue from Artemision Bronze

Share

This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.

The latest tween-oriented blockbuster to hit the multiplexes, ‘Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief’ tells the story of a boy who learns that he’s the son of Poseidon, the Greek god of the sea.

Judging by the poster for the Twentieth Century Fox release, one can assume that marketers for the movie have studied up on ancient artwork depicting the powerful aquatic deity.

Advertisement

The ‘Percy Jackson’ poster bears a striking resemblance to the Artemision Bronze, a sculpture that experts believe portrays either Poseidon or Zeus. Both the movie poster and the sculpture show a character who is standing with his arms outstretched in a position of attack.

The Artemision Bronze, currently at the National Archaelogical Museum in Athens, is believed to date from around 460 BC. The weapon in the figure’s right hand is missing and is said to have been either a trident (in the case of Poseidon) or a lightning bolt (in the case of Zeus.)

Discovered around 1928 amid the remains of a shipwreck, the sculpture stands about 6 1/2 feet tall.

In the ‘Percy Jackson’ poster, the main character is emerging from the sea and wields a lightning bolt -- a fusion of imagery that evokes both Poseidon and Zeus.

Based on the popular series of novels by Rick Riordan, the movie follows the adventures of Percy as he discovers that he is a demigod, the son of a mortal woman and Poseidon. After his mother is kidnapped, Percy attends Camp Half-Blood, a training academy for demigods like himself. He eventually finds himself in the middle of a war among Greek gods, including Zeus and Hades.

-- David Ng

Related stories

Advertisement

Movie review: ‘Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief’

Advertisement