The Scene i decided to choose is when Odysseus meets Nausicaa after he has been ship wrecked ( chp. 6). The images depict a few obvious differences, the first is unfamiliar while the second image seems familiar to the books translation we’ve read in class.
The picture above shows Odysseus on his knees and what appears to be Nausicaa and her servants. To me it’s difficult to figure out who Nausicaa is and why Odysseus is kneeling and why he is extremely close to the group. In the book Odysseus wake up to girls playing ball after cleaning Nausicaa’s clothes, he holds a branch to shield the girls from his nude body. Odysseus realizes the girls are of a young age and they run screaming. He is suppose to look dirty, older and his and tired. All of the women in this depiction seem to be startled and scared. He’s seems to wrap him self with vines while looking clean while being oddly muscular. Odysseus also speaks of Nausicaa’s beauty. I don’t think the artist focused on that part of the scene, which i find odd considering it’s large part of Odysseus speech to Nausea. When reading about their interaction this was not the image that came to mind.
This picture of Odysseus, Nausicaa and the Servants encounter, to me is more along the lines of the translation we’ve been reading. When i came across this image it reminded me of what i imaged in my head while reading the passage. Odysseus actually holding branch, looking tired, dirty, older and rugged. His beard and hair look unmaintained and filthy. The girls look very young, scared and half naked. Naussicaa is the only one that does not run while looking the most attractive and desirable. Odysseus seems to approach the girls with caution trying his best not to scare them off. Although this artist didn’t depict this scene as vibrantly and detailed as the first one, I feel it captures the first moment they all interacted as described in the book.
I agree with your analysis of both images. The first image is quite confusing after reading The Odyssey; it isn’t what I had in mind either. There are too many women in this picture and the epic entailed that women were playing with a ball when they met Odysseus. Instead, it seems that they are all having a picnic and washing clothes- close but no cigar.
The second image was pretty similar to what I had imagined except for a few small details. Like the image, I imagined Odysseus holding shrubbery as he confronted Naussica and the fact that he was naked but I imagined Odysseus on his knees, begging Naussica to help him.
I agree with K.Tan, the first image is far from what I imagined when I read the text. Assuming the first image is where Odysseus meets the Princess and her servants. In the reading Odysseus tries to keep his distance. In the first photo he is much closer to the girls. So this must be the scene where Odysseus is complimenting the princess and saying how he would through himself to her knees but does not want to get to close. In the reading the Princess sends the girls off right before Odysseus starts to compliment her.
**Post Correction**
I agree with K.Tan, the first image is far from what I imagined when I read the text. Assuming the first image is where Odysseus meets the Princess and her servants. In the reading Odysseus tries to keep his distance. In the first photo he is much closer to the girls. So this must be the scene where Odysseus is complimenting the princess and saying how he would throw himself to her knees but does not want to get to close. In the reading the Princess sends the girls off right before Odysseus starts to compliment her and it was just them two. Also in the first photo it looks like Odysseus is coming at the girls. The way Nausicaa is standing with her Hands open, she demonstrates power , right there I can tell that is the princess or Queen.
I agree with the analysis of the pictures because in the first one Odysseus doesnt look very beaten up and he does look very muscular. While in the second picture he looks more vulnerable and its more clear that the girls are running away from him. The first picture might interpret Odysseus as still more of a hero, even when vulnerable, while the other depicts that he is truly vulnerable at that point in the story even though he was a hero before.
It might be just me, but the first painting reminds me of British women. The first painting is much more detailed, and descriptive, but pictures Odysseus, like you said, closer to the women, where in the epic, we got a sense he was further away. The second painting is more bare, but more in line with the epic.
Hi Dom,
This is a solid start, offering a detailed account of your reactions to the two paintings. It would be helpful to include information on the artists–the first painting is by Pieter Lastman, and it dates to 1619. The depiction of the encounter–marked by lavish clothes, dressed up horses, even a woman holding a parasol!!–is very different indeed from Homer’s description. It reflects the values and preoccupations of the moment in which Lastman was painting, in Holland.
I’m not familiar with the second image, though I’d guess it was made in the early 20th century, and that the artist was indeed interested in capturing the feeling of the original text: the bare-legged girls, rugged Odysseus trying not to frighten them; a relatively bare seaside landscape. I’d love to hear more about who painted this and when.
One final note: even with short assignments, try to spend some time proofreading. Some sentences–“He is suppose to look dirty, older and his and tired” is an example–seem to be missing a word, or to contain typos.
Solid work overall.
Best,
Prof Kolb