Odyssey painting goes on show at York Art Gallery

A famous painting depicting a scene from Homer’s Odyssey has gone on display at York Art Gallery.

The J.M.W. Turner creation, on loan from the National Gallery and forming part of a new exhibition, shows Ulysses, also known as Odysseus, sailing from the island where Polyphemus, a one-eyed giant, had held him and his men captive.

Following the recent success of the new Christopher Nolan film based on the epic poem, curators said they hoped there would be renewed interest in artists’ interpretations of Homer’s work.

The painting is one of more than 100 works to go on display as part of Turner, Wedgwood & Beyond: Inspired by Flaxman, which opens at the gallery on Friday.

The exhibition looks at work by John Flaxman, a York-born artist, on the 200th anniversary of his death, as well as the artists he inspired.

Senior curator Dr Beatrice Bertram said: “Flaxman may not be a household name these days, but what we hope to do within this show is to really redress him and give him some time in the light again.

“In his time, he was internationally renowned for his sculptures and his designs, particularly his illustrations of Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey.”