HOW HOMER BECAME GREAT ART – THE ODYSSEY/DEATH TO SUITORS, LIFE & LOVE (BOOKS 22-24)

Homer’s Odyssey, one of the greatest epic poems ever written, tells its story as a film would, in non-stop episodes of action and flashback. Its pages are alive with the dramatic adventures of the Greek hero Odysseus (also known to us as Ulysses) who, ten years after the end of the war at Troy, has still not come home to the island of Ithaca. In fact, his life has been locked into a wandering voyage made thrilling by danger and enchantment in spectacular encounters with the elemental and supernatural worlds. Artists ever since have loved The
Odyssey with graphic energy and their imaginings illuminate the finest translations of this poem into English. Classical Art’s visions of the poem when it was new create exciting contrasts with paintings, watercolours and drawings by Pinturicchio, Titian, Brueghel, Rubens, Poussin, Claude Lorrain, Angelica Kauffmann, Fuseli, David, Turner, Ingres, Corot, Leighton, Waterhouse, Matisse, Chagall and di Chirico, and exquisite sets of illustrations by Flaxman and Flint.

Exhilaratingly necessary carnage now breaks out, as Odysseus slaughters the suitors and deals with those of his servants who have broken faith in his absence. Penelope, who is understandably wary of the newcomer’s true identity, recognizes him only when he discloses something only he could have known. They are reunited. For the moment . . .

Register to tell a friend about this lecture.

Comments

If you would like to comment about this lecture, please register here.

©2003-2006 Niminim Limited. Created by

Any ad revenue is entirely reinvested into the Lecture List's operating fund