Circe and the Companions of Ulysses 1527

Parmigianino rendered "Circe and the Companions of Ulysses" in ink on paper. The circular composition, dominated by sepia tones, presents a scene teeming with transformative power and classical allusion. The eye is immediately drawn to Circe, poised centrally, as she extends a potion to Ulysses’s companions, who are rendered with anxious expressions. Parmigianino masterfully uses line and form to distinguish between the human and the monstrous. Note the sinuous lines of the creatures contrast with the more angular contours of the architecture in the background. The texture created by the ink wash gives depth, especially to the figures contorted by Circe’s magic. The drawing's thematic heart lies in its exploration of metamorphosis—a concept that destabilizes fixed categories. Parmigianino uses the circular format not merely as a frame but as a symbolic enclosure, heightening the viewer’s sense of being enveloped in Circe’s transformative realm. The interplay between classical narrative and stylistic innovation reflects a broader cultural moment where artists challenged the established conventions of representation.