The
Odyssey
Humorous new
title for the epic.
Why do you think
the satirist chose
this as the title?
Calypso
(c. 1906) George Hitchcock.
Oil on canvas.Indianapolis
Museum of Art.
• How has the
painter
characterized
Calypso? Do you
think there is any
relationship
between her white
dress and the
white clouds?
Ulysses
second century
B.C.
• Marble statue of
Odysseus
The Ship of
Odysseus
part of an Odysseus series
by Francois-Louis Schmied
(1930-1933)
• What qualities of
this ship are
emphasized with
the artist’s use of
color and shape?
Explain.
Odysseus
and
Polyphem
(1910) Color Print.
L. du Bois-Reymond
• Depicts Odysseus
taunting
Polyphemus as
he and his men
make their
escape. HUBRIS!
Tilla Durieux
as Circe
(c. 1912-1913)
Franz von
Struck. Oil on
paper.
Ulysses Descending into the
Underworld (16th century). Giovanni
Stradano. Fresco. Vecchio, Florence.
How has the
artist
distinguished
Odysseus
from the
dead?
Odysseus and the Sirens (19th century)
• How does the
artist’s depiction
of the Sirens
affect your
understanding
of this scene in
the epic?
Scylla
and
Charybdis
from the
Ulysses
Cycle
(1580);
Alessandro
Allori; fresco;
Florence
Athene and
Telemach from
Odyssey II
(1975); Marc
Chagall;
lithograph
What do you
think the
artist was
attempting
to convey or
create in
this
painting?
The Goddess Athena Disguises Ulysses as
a Beggar (18th century); Giuseppe Bottani; Italy
Ulysses and His Son
Telemachus (A.D. first century)
This detail of
an ancient
Roman
mosaic shows
Odysseus
and
Telemachus.
How does the
technique of
clustering
colored tiles
together
afftect the
kind of image
that can be
created?
This
illustration
comes from
the late 19th or
early 20th
century.
Compare it to
some of the
illustrations
shown on clay
urns from
Ancient
Greece. What
elements do
they have in
common? How
are they
different?
Ulysses and His Dog
(c. 1900)
This is a detail from
an 18th-century
portrait of
Penelope. Notice
that she still grieves
for Odysseus, even
after 20 years.
What qualities are
emphasized in this
portrait and how do
they compare with
the qualities of
Penelope highlighted
in the text.
Trial of
the Bow
(1929);
N.C.
Wyeth;
illustration
from The
Odyssey
of Homer
How does the artist show suspense in this painting?
The Slaughter
of the Suitors
(1929); N.C.
Wyeth;
illustration from
The Odyssey of
Homer
Which one of
these people is
Odysseus? How
do you know?
Death of the
Suitors; The
Odyssey (1944);
Henry Spencer
Moore; black
chalk, wash and
ink on paper; U.K.
What mood is
created in this
drawing? How?
Plaque with the
return of Odysseus
(c. 460-450 B.C.);
Classical Greek
What specific part of
Odysseus’ return do
you think this
represents? Support
your answer with
evidence from the
visual.
Dorothy Parker, an
American writer of the early
20th century, wrote many
poems offering a woman’s
perspective on life. In
“Penelope,” Parker
imagines what Odysseus’
wife might have thought
about his journeys.
by Dorothy Parker
In the pathway of the sun,
In the footsteps of the breeze,
Where the world and sky are one,
He shall ride the silver seas,
He shall cut the glittering wave.
I shall sit at home, and rock;
Rise, to heed a neighbor's knock;
Brew my tea, and snip my thread;
Bleach the linen for my bed.
They will call him brave.
The End