Pomegranate in art ~ The pomegranate's blog

The pomegranate, as a fruit, is as ancient as human history itself. It is even said the very famous apple of Adam in the Eden's garden, must have originally been a pomegranate, and later has been confused with an apple. But then again, I believe that's just a rumour, lol.
Given its numerous seeds (belived to be in an exact number of 613) in different countries, religious and throughout different ages it has always been considered as a symbol of prosperity and fertility.

Lately, I've been doing researches for well-known paintings where they integrate this fruit as an element.
I was very intrigued by the painting of Dali "Dream caused by the flight of a bee around a pomegranate a second before waking up", and then it hit me, it can't be the only one. And I was right!

Starting from ancient times, or even earlier, the pomegranate has never again stopped being used in art. Sometimes in still life kind of paintings, sometimes associated to people or events.
I've selected some of them, those who I found more interesting and I'm sharing them with you :)

1. Proserpine (Persephone) - Dante Gabriel Rossetti - 1880

You might have heard about the symbol of Persephone, queen of underworld and daughter of Zeus and Demeter, being a pomegranate. There is also a short story explaining why.

"In the Greek myth of Persephone's abduction by Hades, lord of the underworld, the pomegranate represents life, regeneration, and marriage. One day while out gathering flowers, Persephone noticed a narcissus of exquisite beauty. As she bent down to pick it, the earth opened and Hades seized her and dragged her down to his kingdom. By eating a few pomegranate seeds, Persephone tied herself to Hades—the pomegranate being a symbol of the indissolubility of marriage. Inconsolable at the loss of her daughter, the corn goddess Demeter prevented the earth from bearing fruit unless she saw her daughter again. Zeus intervened and worked out a compromise: Persephone should live with Hades for one third of the year and the other two thirds with Demeter. Persephone's return from the underworld each year is marked by the arrival of Spring."