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Homer’s Odyssey in Art
Paintings from the Odyssey
Recreated by Hand
Explore paintings inspired by Homer’s Odyssey, from Ulysses and Argus to the Sirens, Circe, Penelope, Nausicaa, Calypso and the Cyclops Polyphemus. Artists across Europe returned to these episodes because the epic combines adventure with recognition, temptation, endurance and the longing for home. This curated catalogue arranges 60 works into seven narrative rooms, allowing different interpretations of the same characters to be compared side by side. Every selected artwork is available as a hand-painted oil reproduction on real canvas—not a print—made to order in your chosen size and presentation. Begin with ByMuseum’s proven Ulysses and Argus, then follow the voyage through dangerous seas, enchanted islands and the final return to Ithaca.
01Hand-painted in oil on canvas
02Museum-grade reproduction
03Free worldwide shipping
Begin the Voyage ›
60 Odyssey paintings · Seven narrative rooms · Hand-painted in oil
01
Before the Voyage: Troy and the Iliad
The sacrifice that raised the wind, the anger of Achilles, the grief of Hector’s family and the wooden horse that ended the war—paintings of the events that kept Odysseus from Ithaca for his first ten years.
02
Ulysses, Argus and the Long Return
The Odyssey is ultimately a story of recognition and return. Briton Rivière’s meeting between Ulysses and his old dog Argus gives that homecoming its most intimate image, while later scenes show the disguised hero testing who still knows him.
03
Ulysses and the Sirens
Waterhouse, Draper and Moran each interpret the Sirens differently: as airborne attackers, alluring presences or forces within a monumental seascape. Together they show how one episode can generate radically different visual solutions.
04
Circe and Her Enchanted Island
Circe’s palace combines hospitality, danger and transformation. Painters focus on the offered cup, the sorceress’s commanding presence and the uneasy moment when Ulysses confronts a power equal to his own cunning.
05
Circe Reimagined Across the Centuries
Beyond the best-known Waterhouse images, artists repeatedly returned to Circe as an archetype of intelligence, theatre and dangerous attraction. Portraits and narrative scenes shift her from classical heroine to modern psychological symbol.
06
Penelope, Nausicaa and the Women of the Odyssey
Penelope’s endurance and Nausicaa’s compassion balance the violence of the voyage. These paintings treat waiting, intelligence and hospitality as active forms of courage rather than pauses in the hero’s story.
07
Calypso, Phaeacia and the Cyclops
The voyage moves between seductive refuge and mortal danger. Calypso delays the return, Phaeacia makes it possible, and Polyphemus turns wit and survival into the central drama of the tale.
Northern Renaissance / Flemish Landscape Painting
Kerstiaen de Keuninck
The Burning of Troy
Choose size & frame ›
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Choosing an Odyssey Painting Reproduction
Choose a defining episode—from Argus and the Sirens to Circe, Penelope or Polyphemus—and order it as a hand-painted oil reproduction on canvas.
I.
Painted by hand
Every composition is rebuilt in oils by a trained painter. The result has genuine brushwork and texture rather than a printed surface.
II.
Choose the episode
Quiet scenes of recognition work beautifully in intimate rooms; ships, monsters and multi-figure narratives reward a larger wall and viewing distance.
III.
Size and framing
Select the dimensions and presentation on the product page or request a custom size. Free worldwide shipping is included.
FAQ
Paintings Inspired by Homer’s Odyssey
Short answers about Ulysses, Circe, the Sirens and the visual tradition of Homer’s epic.
01.
What are famous paintings from the Odyssey?
Waterhouse’s Ulysses and the Sirens and Circe Offering the Cup to Ulysses, Rivière’s Ulysses and Argus, and major scenes by Turner, Fuseli and other European painters are among the best known.
02.
Are Ulysses and Odysseus the same person?
Yes. Odysseus is the Greek name; Ulysses is the Latin form commonly used in English titles and older art-historical writing.
03.
Why do so many artists paint Circe?
Circe gives artists a powerful combination of magic, transformation, danger and psychological tension, making her one of the epic’s most adaptable figures.
04.
Is there a guide to the story in order?
Yes. Our three-part The Odyssey in Paintings follows Homer from the fall of Troy to the bow of Odysseus, with every painting in this catalogue placed in the story: Circe, the Sirens and Calypso and Penelope, Argus and the Bow. The war before the voyage is in The Trojan War in Paintings.
05.
Are these reproductions printed?
No. ByMuseum recreates each selected artwork by hand with oil paint on canvas.
06.
Can I order custom dimensions?
Yes. Choose an available size on the artwork page or ask ByMuseum for a custom format suited to your wall.
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Explore related collections
Discover more enchantresses in Magic and Witchcraft Paintings, meet Argus in Famous Dog Paintings, see the Pre-Raphaelite paintings of Waterhouse and Draper, or browse all Collections.
Homer's Odyssey in Art
Recreated by hand
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