Embarkation of Ulysses 1646

Claude Lorrain created "Embarkation of Ulysses" using oil on canvas sometime during his career in 17th-century France. Lorrain, living in a time of aristocratic patronage, painted for an elite class that favoured classical themes, as we see with this depiction of Ulysses leaving for Troy. However, looking closely, one can see that the painting is not just about the heroic departure of a mythological figure. The figures on the shore represent a broad spectrum of society, from the affluent in their finery to the labourers loading the ships. Lorrain blurs social lines by setting them against the vastness of the sea, thus turning their departure into a shared human experience. The emotional depth here lies in Lorrain’s ability to use light and composition to evoke feelings of longing and adventure. He acknowledges the universal human desire to seek new horizons, while subtly commenting on the social strata that defined his world.