Ulysses Before Circe, Mercury Behind

Gaetano GandolfiWW-1766-119064

1766·Red chalk, with touches of wetted red chalk, on cream laid paper·49.9 × 35.9 cm (19 11/16 × 14 3/16 in.)

<p>In this scene, Gaetano Gandolfi illustrated the moment from Homer’s epic poem the Odyssey when the hero violently confronts the enchantress Circe, who has transformed his men into swine. In the left foreground, several of Circe’s hybrid victims seem to be in the process of transforming back into men, while behind Ulysses the god Mercury ascends through an arch.</p> <p>The drawing is a tour de force of compositional invention and technical skill, alive with energy and balletic form. Gandolfi’s expert use of the uncolored paper to express dramatic lighting in particular gives the work a kind of radiance.</p>

Catalogue

Year: 1766
Medium: Red chalk, with touches of wetted red chalk, on cream laid paper
Dimensions: 49.9 × 35.9 cm (19 11/16 × 14 3/16 in.)
Collection: Art Institute of Chicago
Artist: Gaetano Gandolfi

Artist

Gaetano Gandolfi

Painting

Gaetano Gandolfi was an Italian painter, draughtsman and sculptor of the late Baroque period, mainly active in and around Bologna. He is known for his biblical, mythological and allegorical subjects, as well as his portraits and nudes. He was both a painter on canvas and a fresco painter. Gaetano and his older brother Ubaldo were among the leading artists in Italy during their lifetime. This reputation was earned by the excellent quality of their work, which lead to numerous major commissions from courts all over Europe.

Bologna

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