Moments From The Odyssey As Shown In Paintings From Art History

A compilation of some of my favourite paintings from art history that depict moments from The Odyssey.

Ulysses Deriding Polyphemus, 1829, by J.M.W. Turner 

In this painting, we see Odysseus sailing away from the island where he and his men encountered the one-eyed giant Polyphemus. Odysseus, dressed in a red cloak, stands with his arms raised in victory beneath a red banner. In his hand he holds a flaming torch, the weapon with which he blinded the giant.

Polyphemus’s large presence, barely visible at first, emerges atop the vast cliff that towers above the ship. We see him lying on his side, one hand shielding his wounded eye in agony, the other preparing to hurl a boulder at the parting ship.

What I find fascinating about this painting is how little we see of Polyphemus. Instead, Turner makes the landscape itself feel almost monstrous. Governed by violent, luminous colours, and by the elemental forces of sky, sea, sunlight and mist, it intertwines Odysseus’s fate with nature: the sea carries him from the island, while the landscape seems to absorb the giant’s pain.

Circe Offering the Cup to Ulysses, 1891, by John William Waterhouse

In this painting, we see the enchantress Circe seated on a gilded throne with her arms extended. In one hand she presents a cup containing a magical potion and in the other she holds a wand, ready to complete her spell.

By her feet we see some of Odysseus's men who have already been transformed into pigs, revealing her power and intention. She dominates the composition, and her expression is one of confidence. She believes Odysseus is already within her grasp.

That is, until we notice Odysseus reflected in the large circular mirror behind her. He watches her intently, ready to resist.

This mirror creates a brilliant tension between appearance and reality. While Circe appears to control the scene, the mirror’s reflection tells us that her victim is no longer vulnerable. She has no idea that Odysseus has been warned of her magic by Hermes and has obtained the protective herb that makes him immune to her potion.

Between Scylla and Charybdis, 1910, by Adolf Hirémy-Hirsch

In this pastel work ,we see Odysseus facing the impossible choice of either sailing closer to Scylla, a man-eating monster, or risk Charybdis, a deadly whirlpool. His ship is caught within a tumultuous seascape, while the threatening whirlpool of Charybdis appears to dominate the foreground.

In the background we see the enormous figure of Scylla looming over the ship, her outstretched arms creating the impression that there is no escape. The cliffs on either side of the painting close in around Odysseus and his men, creating a powerful sense of claustrophobia and entrapment.

Hirémy-Hirschl transforms the moment into a vision of complete helplessness; a ship trapped between two forces far greater than itself.

Odysseys and Calypso, 1883, by Arnold Böcklin

In this painting, we see Odysseus on the island of Ogygia. He stands, alone and seemingly forlorn, on a rocky outcrop, gazing towards the sea and missing his home in Ithaca.

To the right we see his captor, the nymph Calypso, reclining beside the shore with a lyre in her hands. She looks towards Odysseus, seemingly absorbed by him and by her desire to keep him with her.

She longs for him while he longs for Ithaca.

The rocky shore appears stark and barren, enhancing Odysseus’s sense of isolation, while the sea becomes a visual reminder of the journey, and the home, that he cannot forget.

Ulysses and the Sirens, 1891, by John William Waterhouse

In this painting, we see Odysseus bound to the mast of his ship as seven Sirens swarm around it, taunting both him and his men with their song.

Unlike the majority of depictions on this theme which tend to depict the Sirens as mermaid-like creatures, Waterhouse depicts the Sirens as birds with the faces of beautiful women, inspired by a similar rendering of the story on an ancient Greek vase.

A closer look at Odysseus’s clenched fists and expression allows us to sense his torment as he struggles against his restraints while longing to hear more of their hypnotic song.

Although Homer tells us that Odysseus’s men block their ears with wax, Waterhouse chooses to visualise this detail through the strips of fabric wrapped around Odysseus's men’s heads and ears. They each exhibit varying degrees of attention to the Sirens. Some don’t acknowledge them as they sail forwards; others gaze upwards at the mysterious creatures; and one appears to cover his ears.

The Procession of the Trojan Horse Into Troy, c.1760, by Giovanni Domenico Tiepolo

In this painting, we see the Greek plan, devised with Odysseus’s involvement, to conceal their men in a large wooden horse in order to sneak them past the gates of Troy, come to fruition.

A monumental wooden horse, that looks a little too real, is being pushed and pulled upon a wheeled platform towards the city of Troy, visible in the distance, by its eager inhabitants. The urgent mess of limbs and bodies conveys the inhabitants’ excitement at what they perceive to be a gift from the gods. The inscription on the horse’s body reads ‘PALADI VOTUM’ meaning 'an offering to Pallas’, another name for Athena.

I think Tiepolo rendered the horse in such a startlingly realistic manner as a nod towards the fact that it is full of living, breathing bodies being dragged into Troy.

In the background we see Cassandra being arrested for predicting disaster if the horse entered the city. She would later be proved right.

Penelope, 1864, by John Roddam Spencer Stanhope

In this painting, we see Penelope longing for the return of her husband.

During Odysseus’s twenty-year absence, Penelope kept suitors at bay by working on a woven funeral pall she claimed to be making for her father-in-law. However, each night, she would unpick her day’s work to delay finishing it.

Here we see her seated by her loom. With her head resting on her hand, she appears fed-up and melancholy. Beside her we see one of her maidservants who can be seen plucking fruit from the tree. Penelope on the other hand seems completely oblivious to her surroundings, and completely focused on just one thing: her husband.

Ulysses and Eurycleia, 1849, by Gustave Boulanger

This painting depicts the very moment in which Odysseus’s secret undercover return to Ithaca was almost sabotaged by his nurse Eurycleia.

While washing his feet, she recognises him by the scar on his leg. Boulanger captures the split second of recognition. Odysseus is about to silence Eurycleia before she can reveal his identity. He reaches out to cover her mouth, while she extends her arms in shock and recognition.

In the background we see Penelope, who does not yet recognise the disguised Odysseus. Boulanger’s low viewpoint makes the figure of Odysseus dominate the scene, while also placing emotional distance between him and Penelope in the background, highlighting her ignorance of the events unfolding in the foreground.

Ulysses and Argus, 1871, by Briton Riviere

This painting, by Briton Riviere, depicts the moment Odysseus sees his faithful dog Argus, who has been waiting patiently for him during his long twenty-year absence. As he is in disguise as a poor beggar, Odysseus cannot acknowledge or embrace his dog, but the gazes between them portray their deep bond.

Odysseus looks down at Argus with love, resisting the urge to reach for him, his head bowed in sadness; and Argus, who has been neglected and left lying outside, is now too thin and weak to even stand up, yet looks up at Odysseus tentatively, with wide eyes full of devotion, as if he can hardly believe what he is seeing. He recognises his master, despite his disguise.

It’s a painting that captures a moment of love, heartbreak, and silent reunion. Argus dies shortly afterwards, having lived just long enough to see the return of his master.

Reunion of Odysseus and Telemachus, 1856-95, by Henri-Lucien Doucet

This painting by Henri-Lucien Doucet depicts the heartwarming moment when Odysseus finally reveals his identity to his son Telemachus after returning to Ithaca following his long absence. Telemachus kneels before his father and wraps his arms around his neck. Odysseus kisses him fervently and with urgency.

In the background, we can see the ghostly figure of Athena, watching over the reunion.

The Trial of the Bow, 1929, by N.C. Wyeth

This illustration by Newell Convers Wyeth depicts Odysseus about to shoot his arrow through a row of twelve axe heads during Penelope’s challenge to her suitors. Only the man capable of stringing Odysseus’s great bow and sending an arrow cleanly through the axes can claim Penelope’s hand.

The illustration captures a moment of tense anticipation as we await the release of the arrow from Odysseus’s bow, and the painting’s composition makes us feel a part of the scene, as if we are one of the onlooking suitors, or perhaps Penelope herself.

Penelope Reunited with Odysseus, 1806, by Isaac Taylor (after Henry Fuseli)

This book-illustration engraving by Isaac Taylor, based on a lost painting by Henry Fuseli, depicts the tender moment in which Penelope and her husband Odysseus are reunited. They embrace each other fiercely, and in the background, a maidservant raises her hands in surprise and joy at the reunion.

After twenty years apart, and all the uncertainty, grief, and longing that has defined their story, Odysseus and Penelope are finally together again, and the relief in their bodies and poses is palpable.