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Notes
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The subject of this painting is taken from Book IX of Homer’s Odyssey. It shows Ulysses sailing from the island where Polyphemus, a one-eyed giant, had held him and his men captive. Wearing a helmet and a scarlet cloak, Ulysses raises his arms in victory as he stands on the deck of his ship, below a red banner, looking back at the island. He lifts the flaming torch with which he blinded Polyphemus, whose huge shadowy body lies sprawled across the clifftop that towers above. Luminous sea nymphs and flying fish gather at the ship’s prow as a blazing sun rises through the morning mists.The painting signals the increasing role of colour and light in Turner's historical landscapes. It also marks the increasingly expressive direction his painting was to follow and anticipates the visionary qualities of his late work.
Title
Ulysses deriding Polyphemus - Homer's Odyssey
Date
1829
Medium
Oil on canvas
Measurements
H 132.5 x W 203 cm
Accession number
NG508
Acquisition method
Turner Bequest, 1856
Work type
Painting
The National Gallery, London
Trafalgar Square, London, Greater London WC2N 5DN England
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