Odysseus and Scylla
Written for Gods and Heroes in Art at The University of Oklahoma - Professor Davis - Spring 2023
There are quite a few elements that are essential to representing the story of Odysseus and his crew traversing across the sea past the Sirens, Scylla, and Charybdis. Looking at one scene specifically, when Odysseus and his ship are attacked by Scylla the objective is to identify and examine the crucial details that are required to effectively represent the intensity and horror of this moment. By analyzing two excellent representations and one poor representation, we will examine how they capture or fail to capture the essential elements. We will also examine how artistic movements and styles may influence the artists' representations of this scene. By the end, we hope to gain a deeper understanding of how important aesthetics can be when depicting stories, and how artistic movements shape our perception of these stories.
The goal of an artist is to evoke emotion within the audience as they take in what has been created. This can be a negative or positive emotion if the viewer is affected. Artists must carefully consider a wide variety of criteria when planning a work of art. Capturing the key moments and characters in the story such as Scylla herself and Odysseus with his ship and crew. Using clear iconography to ensure the viewer can make the connection with the story is important. The artwork should also clearly represent important themes from the scene, such as heroism and struggle in this scene. Taking it further and specifically trying to evoke strong emotions of fear, chaos, and determination. The use of varying brushstrokes, lighting, and hue plays an important part in each representation as well. In this scene using dramatic contrast between light and dark can increase the feelings conveyed to the audience. Overall, I place a higher value on the emotion the artwork engages over clear depictions of the characters. Finally, the time period the art was created can play a significant role in how the viewer perceives the scene and the story. We'll look at works of art from periods of romanticism, symbolism, and surrealism. By hitting each of these criteria the artist can create an extremely powerful representation of Odysseus and his encounter with Scylla.
There are two examples of this scene that I think fit the necessary criteria excellently. In the first example, "Odysseus Between Scylla and Charybdis" by Henry Fuseli, the artist uses great skill to evoke the right emotions. The artist portrays monstrous Scylla as barely apparent in the shadows near the top of the composition while also clearly representing Odysseus's ship and how vulnerable his crew is. Hiding Scylla in the shadows emphasizes the danger that follows. A clear depiction of Odysseus' crew being ripped apart, and Odysseus himself standing alone speaks so much to what is going on. The ripped-apart crew members give a sense of how monstrous Scylla is, and the terror they are facing. Odysseus highlighted amongst the shadows shows the theme of heroism and the bravery Odysseus must have. The use of loose brushstrokes, exaggerated lighting, and intentional hiding of the face of Odysseus allude to this piece being created during the romanticism art period. This period of art is known for emphasizing mood over fine detail, to me, this is vital in the depiction of this scene. There is intensity, chaos, fear, and determination that all need to be evoked, the dramatic lighting and loose brushstrokes from this time period hit the nail on the head.
Another great example of this scene is "Between Scylla and Charybdis" by Adolf Hiremy-Hirschl. This artwork gives a more abstract and dreamlike representation of Scylla with loose brushstrokes and stronger contrast, which leads me to believe it was created during the period of symbolism. This was an era that wanted to detach from realism and naturalism. Like the previous example, this era also focused more on emotional appeal. These artworks are known to be unrealistic, and almost dreamlike. Again, we are looking at the bold and exaggerated use of light and color. These are similar characteristics to the romanticism period from the first example. This representation takes a different approach to the depiction of both Scylla and Odysseus with no clear idea of who or what is being shown. As I stated earlier, the emotion evoked from the representation is more important than a clear depiction of who is in the scene. The title lets me, the viewer know this is a moment between both Scylla and Charybdis, and I am left to believe the boat is carrying Odysseus and his crew. Even without this clear idea of what is happening, the use of loose brushstrokes and exaggerated lighting leaves a sense of fear and chaos. This is critical in the depiction of this scene and helps show the key themes of heroism and struggle. While it may not be apparent what the crew is about to deal with, this shows the bravery the crew has and gives a sense of foreboding to the battle to come. Overall, both examples come from periods of art that emphasized emotion over detail and used strong contrast, and loose brushstrokes to show darker emotional scenes. These ideas and techniques show the emotions of fear, chaos, and determination very well. They also lead to clear themes of heroism and struggle which are crucial for this scene. In contrast, the next example is from the period of surrealism.
To show a poor example of this scene we need to remove the key criteria. This example is "Scylla and Charybdis" by Romare Howard Bearden. With this artwork coming from the period of surrealism it is going to be significantly more abstract. As stated, I care more about the emotion an artwork evokes over a clear depiction of the characters in the scene. This artwork is a prime example of that. Scylla is shown in a wildly abstract form with vibrant hues and no lighting techniques used. What I am to assume is Odysseus and his crew are depicted using a few simple shapes to make up a boat. These representations give me a sense of whimsy and fun, instead of fear and chaos. The use of sharp lines with abstract shapes doesn't clearly show the themes of heroism and struggle. This artwork overall does not meet any of the criteria that I think make an excellent depiction of this scene. Comparing works of art from different time periods and different styles has made me think critically about what I value in art.
All in all, I have learned a lot about what I value in art and depictions of stories. This comparison of successful and unsuccessful representations has shown me the time period in which a work of art is created plays a huge role in my appreciation of it. The aesthetic I prefer when it comes to this story feels dark and dreary, chaotic and dreamlike. Both the romanticism and symbolism artistic movements thrive when evoking those emotions. These two artistic movements value emotion over accurate representation but don't take it to an abstract level. While the surrealism time period may have put less value into detail it doesn't have the ability to bring out the same emotion. I've also learned throughout this study that I put significantly more value into emotion when it comes to finding an artwork aesthetically pleasing. I do value skilled clean lines and realistic lighting, but the perfect painting to me must give the feelings from the story. During our weekly observations If I didn't know the story, I would look for the artwork with the most realistic depictions, but knowing the story drives my joy away from realism, and towards emotion. I have grown immensely in my understanding of the details of a work of art and why it was made the way it was. I have a greater appreciation for artists and their process of creating emotion from a blank canvas or a slab of stone.
Artistic Works Cited
Odysseus Between Scylla and Charybdis, Henry Fuseli, 1795, University of California, San Diego, https://library.artstor.org/#/asset/ARTSTOR_103_41822000674059;prevRouteTS=1681065715112
Between Scylla and Charybdis, Adolf Hiremy-Hirschl, 1910, Kunkel Fine Art, https://www.arthistoryproject.com/artists/adolf-hiremy-hirschl/between-scylla-and-charybdis/
Scylla and Charybdis, Romare Howard Bearden, 1977, Romare Bearden Foundation, https://library.artstor.org/#/asset/ABEARDENIG_10313650945;prevRouteTS=1681066181946
