FAH313 WEEK 4 - HOMER 2: THE ODYSSEY

Title: Laocoön and His Sons group

Date: ca. 200-100 BCE

Medium: sculpture

Description of Art:

• group sculpture

• Laocoon struggling against snake

  • pitched chest

  • strained muscles

  • Face —> wincing or in pain

• Son on left

  • already dead

  • limp body

  • head lulled back

  • no sign of struggle

• Son on right:

  • has the upper hand

  • can escape → hand on snake around angle

Significance:

• Laocoon = Trojan priest

  • suspicious of trojan horse gift

  • prophesized the fall of Troy if gift brought into walls

• was punished by the Gods —> 2 snakes sent to kill me + his sons

Monoscenic narrative

• freeze frame of an episode —> trying to show as many moment/events in 1 shot

Pregnant moment/ moment in between

• when most dramatic tension occurs

• snake about to bite Laocoon

• Son about to escape

Title: The sack of Troy Hydria

Date: ca. 480 BCE

Medium: red figure Hydria

Description of Art:

• Dead solider on ground = Hektor

• Neoptolemus (son of Achilles) = Young soldier brandishing weapon at Astyanax in King Priam’s lap —> sitting on altar of Troy

• Astyanax = small + slender with open wounds

• Palladium = ancient statue of Athena

  • stiff, not moving

  • if it leaves Troy = city will fall

  • being protected by Kassandra

• Ajax the Lesser = dragging Kassandra away from safe haven

  • has his hand in her hair

  • ends up assaulting her in front of temple

Significance:

• To avenge Kassandra —> Athena flips his ship when his on his own Nostoi after the war

• demonstrates brutality of Sack of Troy

Title: Penelope Skyphos

Date: ca. 440 BCE

Medium: Red figure skyphos

Description of Art:

SIDE A:

• Penelope seated ate her loom —> thinker’s pose

  • head propped up on her right fist

• Telemachus standing by her, holding spear

• both are waiting for Odysseus

SIDE B:

• Odysseus arrives home

• A hand maiden stands at the back

• Eurycleia washes his feet —> recognizes him by the scar on his leg —> from wild boar hunt

  • when he got injured —> she was the one to mend him —> RECOGNITION

Title: Suitors Skyphos

Date: ca. 440 BCE

Medium: red figure Skyphos

• 2 handled drinking cup used in social + ritual contexts

Description of Art:

SIDE A:

• Odysseus is drawing is bow

• 2 maids behind him looking on

  • hands up, looking shocked/concerned

SIDE B:

• Antinous and 2 other suitors cowering in fear from Odysseus and his bow

  • one has his hands up

  • the other holds a table sideways as a shield

  • third already has an arrow lodged in his back, which he’s reaching for

Title: The Palladium Group from Sperlonga

Date: ca. 150 BCE

Medium: sculpture

Location: From Grotto of Tiberius

Description of Art:

• Diomedes and Odysseus stealing the palladium from Troy

  • Diomedes holding palladium

  • Palladium = Athena statue made in the archaic style

    • almond shaped eyes

    • classic mouth

    • arm up → meant to be holding spear

  • Diomedes:

    • fleshy cheeks

    • hollow eyes

    • gazing upward

    • different look from statue = looks ALIVE

• Odysseus = KEY ATTRIBUTES

  • Pilos = sailor’s hat

  • Chlamys = sailor/traveler’s cloak

Title: The Polyphemos group from Sperlonga

Date: ca. 150 BCE

Medium: sculpture

Location: Grotto of Tiberius, at the back

Description of Art:

• Polyphemos

  • huge

  • depicted as barbarian

  • rugged look = shaggy hair and beard, hair in pubic area + on feet

  • asleep, eye is closed

• Odysseus at the top, near him

  • holding top of spear to blind him

  • Pilos + Chlamys

  • also has long unruly hair + rugged beard

Significance: HOMER 2: ODYSSEY

• Problem: Polyphemos + Odysseus have similar attributes

  • shows their similar in nature (both monsters)

• Group structure = at the back of the grotto

• Cave used to set the scene

  • helps situate the story being told by sculpture

Title: The Cyclops Calyx-Krater

Date: ca. 415 BCE

Medium: red figure Calyx Krater (curved lower body similar to that of a flower)

Description of Art:

• Polyphemos in center asleep

  • right arm over his head = visual idiom

  • lounging = famous sleeping pose in art

  • bent neck

  • Eye is closed

  • artist added 2 eyes that are closed = to clearly show he’s asleep

• Odysseus = wearing chlamys + pilos

  • directing his crew on olive wood log to make spear

• 3 crew members picking up wood

• 2 other crew members on far left holding torches

  • setting the scene = letting you know it’s taking place in a dark CAVE

• Far right = satyrs

  • balding + horse tails

  • why in cave = from a play by Euripides called “Cyclops”

    • in play = satyrs in cave with Odysseus

Ground lines = frame the scene + shows you the different levels to it

• Wine cup + empty wine skin

  • interacting with ground lines = resting on the floor

• Polyphemos shape of body = clearly lying on a rock

Significance:

• vase itself = Krater = for mixing wine

  • works with the story of the art

  • wine was used to subdue the cyclops

Title: Polyphemos and Galatea Landscape

Date: ca. 10 BCE

Medium: Fresco

Description of Art:

• Bucolic scene taking place

  • demonstrates pleasant aspects of a rural life

• Polyphemos

  • playing a Syrinx (pan flute)

  • Pedum (sheperd’s crook)

  • his flock of sheep around him

• Far right = ? statue of Pan holding crook (possibly)

• Left = Galatea (she who is white as milk)

  • Polyphemos’ love interest

  • milky white skin

  • sea nymph

  • sitting on/riding a dolphin

  • blue and green seascape around her = the sea

  • flowing drapery = blowing wind

• TOP RIGHT = Polyphemos throwing mountain peak to Odysseus’ retreating ship

Significance: Theocritus, Idylls

• Feels her love in his liver

  • Greece = liver was the seat of love

• Tone of scene

  • Polyphemos trying to woo Galatea

  • pitchs his love to her

    • i may be ugly, but i’m a rich sheperd, ill take care of you

Title: The Circe Cup

Date: ca. 550-525 BCE

Medium: Black figure Kylix (drinking cup)

Description of Art:

SIDE A:

• Circe turning Odysseus’ men into pigs

  • top half pig, bottom half human legs

• either side = Odysseus

  • wearing chlamys

  • same hair and outfit

  • left = pointing his sword at Circe

  • right = escaping to warn others

    • could also be Eurylochus

• Random greek inscriptions across cup

  • either artist illiterate

  • or represents nonsense sounds made by transformed crew

• Synoptic scene = scene before and scene after

SIDE B:

• Greeks fighting barbarians

• holding shields and spears

• barbarians = on floor, large belly and served wine

Significance:

• cup shape same as the cup Circe is using in art

• can also assume same cup barbarians are using to drink wine

• MORALE: shape of kylix plays a role in story

  • conveys dangers of excessive drinking

Title: The Siren Stamnos

Date: ca. 480 BCE

Medium: red figure stamnos

Location: Vulci, Italy

Description of Art:

SIDE A:

• Odysseus strapped to mast

  • looking up, struggling against the bindings

  • neck up, chest pitched forward

• crew rowing

  • one of them looking back in concern

• Helmsman directing rowers

• 2 sirens on clouds looking down = lady + bird combo

  • mouths open = singing

• 3rd siren falling, eyes closed

  • kills herself because Odysseus resists + passes the test

• Inscription:

  • Odysseus

  • Himeropa or (desired face/voice)

    • top right

SIDE B:

• info about type of vessel

• 3 winged characters = look like cupids

  • Kalos = handsome

  • Kalos = handsome

  • Himeros (desire)

• Each holding a gift

  • Kalos = hare = courtship gift

  • Kalos = floral tendril = kalos feeling/beauty

  • Himeros = tainia (woven fillet = given to athletic winners + love prize)

Significance: HOMER 2: ODYSSEY

• Sirens singing about Odysseus’ desires

• he wants = information, wiser man, smartest amongst the greeks

• curious man

• Stamnos = dug and found by Lucien bonaparte

  • gave it to his wife Alexandrine de Bleschamp

  • as a LOVE GIFT