Ulysses Deriding Polyphemus

"Ulysses Deriding Polyphemus" is an oil painting created in 1829 by Joseph Mallord William Turner, showcasing a dynamic scene from Homer's Odyssey. The composition depicts Odysseus (Ulysses) mockingly insulting Polyphemus, the cyclops he recently blinded, with the cyclops partly concealed behind a mountain on the left. Additional imagery includes a canvas flag featuring a Trojan Horse from Virgil’s Aeneid, and the rising horses of Apollo on the horizon. Likely painted quickly as a substitute for delayed previous works, this piece exemplifies Romanticism and was exhibited at the 1829 Royal Academy. It was later acquired by the National Gallery in 1856. Turner’s work is considered a captivating commentary with hints of a Marina-inspired atmosphere.