Introduction
Art can often draw inspiration from literature, such as epic stories of brave warriors and the challenges they faced. However, due to the vast creative potential of art, the same stories can have drastically different interpretations. The difference can be explained not only by the choice of medium and visual details but also by the values established in society at the time of the creation of the art piece.
This paper will examine the contrasts between two artworks inspired by the same myth and explore how varying interpretations of the narrative shaped their visual elements. While both these art pieces illustrate the myth of Odysseys and the sirens from the book of Homer Odysseys, they each have a different focal point and meaning. Therefore, on the one hand, the red-figured stamnos Odysseus and the Sirens, created in 500-400 BCE by an unknown painter, commonly referred to as the Siren Painter, symbolizes the dangers of the sea. On the other hand, the Ulysses and the Sirens oil painting on canvas by William Etty, exhibited in 1837, illustrates the dangers of human lust and desires.
Comparison of the Myths
Firstly, the main distinction between the two pieces that is immediately visible to the viewer is the difference in focal points. In Odysseus and the Sirens, the focal point centers on one of the sirens descending from the air into the sea. Moreover, the figure of the Odyssey tied to the mast of the ship is exposed to the danger of being attacked by the sirens. A more detailed examination of the composition explains how the art piece focuses on the mythical horrors that the society of that time associated with the sea. Thus, Odyssey’s gaze directly focuses on one of the sirens on a rock near the ship.
However, most other men pictured in the scene who are unaffected by the sirens’ singing keep rowing without paying attention to the sirens. Only two men look up at the tied Odysseus but do not try to approach him, indicating that they can see his agony but cannot hear his screams. In order to emphasize the sense of the enigmatic perils of sea trips, the main focus was on one of the sirens that Odysseus alone saw descend from the sky into the water.
Next, the focal point in The Sirens and Ulysses focuses on three sirens pictured as beautiful naked women. Here, the viewpoint captures the sirens’ island as the foreground, while Odysseus’ ship is shown far from the land. The painting’s composition partially reflects the perception of Odysseus enchanted by the sirens’ signing, with most of the attention focused on the sirens’ beauty. Thus, Odysseus fails to notice that the sirens are surrounded by several decaying corpses of men at different stages of decomposition. Furthermore, in comparison with Odysseus and the Sirens, Etty portrays the crew members actively resisting Odysseus, who has fallen under the enchantment. Therefore, the explicitly illustrated Odysseus’ intent to leave the ship emphasizes the power that lust and desire can have over people.
Furthermore, the following significant distinction is the difference in the two art pieces’ depictions of sirens. Utilizing the text of Homer’s Odyssey can provide additional context to the scenes captured in both art pieces. Thus, in Odysseus and the Sirens, Odysseus, enchanted by the sirens’ voice, is pictured as tied with “ropes around the beam that holds the mast” to prevent him from jumping into the sea (Homer 185). The art reflects that other men from the ship remained unaffected by the sirens’ singing as the Odyssey instructed them to insert beeswax in their ears (Homer 185).
Protecting their ears from the sirens’ singing allowed men on the ship to witness the true nature of sirens. While enchanted Odysseus views sirens as beautiful women, other men who saw through sirens’ lies view them as hungry bird-like creatures with sharp claws (Odysseus and the Sirens). Therefore, the artist utilized the crew members’ view of sirens as their image to emphasize how confused the human mind can be when faced with mysterious, unknown creatures. Thus, the art conveys the idea of danger in traveling to uncharted lands, giving more significance to Odysseus’ accomplishments.
Etty’s The Sirens and Ulysses painting features a drastically different image of sirens, based on Odysseus’ perspective. While sirens in Odysseus and the Sirens can be perceived as aggressive and unemotional in their stillness, except for one siren diving into the water, sirens in Etty’s painting present a direct opposite. Etty’s sirens are fluidly mobile, with smooth lines in their figures emphasizing their beauty, grace, and deceptive fragility. The contrast between the fair color of the sirens’ skin and the dark tones of clouds and sea in the background creates an uneasy feeling in the viewer, pointing to the upcoming tragedy.
While in Odysseus and the Sirens, the sirens’ mysterious nature is evident in their inhuman image, in The Sirens and Ulysses, only the remains of the sirens’ victims can point to the sirens’ ancient origins. The artist’s intention to picture the sirens as sensual and beautiful women were sourced from the influence of Venetian school traditions on Etty’s art (Muther 73). Therefore, the artist’s desire to emphasize the beauty in the myth changed the artwork’s idea from the imagination of the horrors of the sea to an illustration of the dangers of human lust.
Lastly, proportions and scale play an important role in effectively conveying the artwork’s idea to the viewer. Therefore, comparing the differences in the size of the characters depicted in both art pieces can provide additional insights into the artists’ different interpretations of the same story. Firstly, comparing the size of Odysseus and the sirens’ figures in Odysseus and the Sirens defines that both men and mythical creatures play equal roles in the story. Thus, sirens only have a slight dominance in size over the people pictured in the image (Odysseus and the Sirens). The distinction draws attention to the dangerous situation in which Odysseus and his crew members found themselves. Therefore, in viewers’ perception, Odysseus, the ship’s crew members, and the sirens have equal parts in the story.
However, an opposite effect is shown in The Sirens and Ulysses painting, where figures of sirens placed in the foreground have significant size superiority over Odysseus. While it is evident that the difference in size is sourced from the perspective, it can illustrate the power of lust over the human will. Moreover, the larger size of Odysseus’ figure compared with other members of the ship’s crew reflects his power as a leader. The paper earlier identified that The Sirens and Ulysses depicts a more direct physical resistance from the crew members to the enchanted Odysseus. Thus, the difference in size between Odysseus and other men emphasizes how leaders can also be corrupted by lust (The Sirens and Ulysses).
Furthermore, in ancient Greece, where epic stories often focused on the confrontation between Gods and people, heroes such as Odyssey were different from ordinary soldiers but were still human. However, the modern perception of leaders and heroes, utilized by Etty, associates leadership abilities with superiority over ordinary people. Therefore, the difference in size can also be connected with changes in society’s perception of the leader.
Conclusion
In conclusion, this paper defined the differences between two art pieces inspired by Homer’s Odyssey and analyzed how distinct interpretations of the story influenced their visual components. Firstly, the paper determined that the difference in focal points plays a vital role in conveying the artwork’s interpretation of the story to the viewers. Thus, the focal point in Odysseus and the Sirens illustrates the horrors heroes can encounter in their journey through the sea. The focal point in The Sirens and Ulysses centered on the image of sirens emphasizes the deceptive nature of human lust and its terrible consequences in the form of the remains of the sirens’ victims.
Furthermore, the paper defined the two art pieces as using different perceptions of the sirens’ appearance to convey the artworks’ message to viewers effectively. Lastly, the paper identified that differences in artists’ interpretations of the story and sirens’ role can be defined by analyzing artworks’ proportions and scale. Thus, the creator of Odysseus and the Sirens viewed the Odyssey as an outstanding person who viewed his team as equals, while Etty showed the Odyssey as a superior leader corrupted by lust and lies.
Works Cited
Etty, William. The Sirens and Ulysses. 1837. Manchester Art Gallery, Manchester. Art UK. Web.
Homer. The Odyssey. Translated by Herbert Jordan, University of Oklahoma Press, 2014.
Muther, Richard. The History of Modern Painting. Vol. 2, Outlook Verlag, 2020.
The Siren Painter. Odysseus and the Sirens. 480BC-470BC. The British Museum, London. British Museum. Web.
Loading...
