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Elizabeth A.Sackler Center for Feminist Art

Pasiphae

Mythic, worshipped in ancient Greece, dates vary, beginning circa 1600 B.C.E.

In Greek mythology, Pasiphae was the wife of the legendary King Minos of Crete and the mother of Ariadne. When Minos offended Poseidon, the sea god cursed Pasiphae with a mad passion for a white bull. With the help of Daedalus, who built a wooden cow in which she could disguise herself, Pasiphae mated with the creature and then gave birth to the fearsome Minotaur. Pasiphae was also worshipped as a prophetic goddess at a shrine in Thalamae, just outside of Sparta.

Judy Chicago (American, b. 1939). <em>The Dinner Party</em> (Heritage Floor; detail), 1974–79. Porcelain with rainbow and gold luster, 48 x 48 x 48 ft. (14.6 x 14.6 x 14.6 m). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of the Elizabeth A. Sackler Foundation, 2002.10. © Judy Chicago. Photograph by Jook Leung Photography
Judy Chicago (American, b. 1939). The Dinner Party (Heritage Floor; detail), 1974–79. Porcelain with rainbow and gold luster, 48 x 48 x 48 ft. (14.6 x 14.6 x 14.6 m). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of the Elizabeth A. Sackler Foundation, 2002.10. © Judy Chicago. Photograph by Jook Leung Photography

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