ULYSSES AND NAUSICAA 

Charles Gleyre painted Ulysses and Nausicaa using oil on canvas, a process rooted in the traditions of academic painting. The smooth, almost porcelain finish that you see here results from painstaking labor, with thin layers of pigment carefully glazed to create depth, volume, and an illusion of reality. Gleyre's painting is like so many others of his time. It hides the immense amount of work needed to create it. Each brushstroke is almost imperceptible, and the canvas is filled with figures elegantly posed. These are all calculated strategies meant to ennoble the subject matter, in this case, a scene derived from Homer’s Odyssey. It evokes the high-minded ideals of the ancient world. But to truly appreciate this painting, we must recognize that it is an object produced through skilled labor. In doing so, we come to appreciate the artistry that brings the story of Ulysses and Nausicaa to life, and how painting traditions have informed the narrative.