Odysseus and the Cyclops: Constructing Fear in Renaissance Marriage Chest Paintings
Recent scholarship addressing access to Homer’s epics during the Italian Renaissance has illuminated the unique importance of visual narratives for the dissemination and interpretation of material associated with the Trojan War and its heroes. This article looks at early fifteenth-century...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2018-10-01
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| Series: | Humanities |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0787/7/4/107 |
| _version_ | 1811301381397544960 |
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| author | Margaret Franklin |
| author_facet | Margaret Franklin |
| author_sort | Margaret Franklin |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Recent scholarship addressing access to Homer’s epics during the Italian Renaissance has illuminated the unique importance of visual narratives for the dissemination and interpretation of material associated with the Trojan War and its heroes. This article looks at early fifteenth-century images deriving from the Odyssey that were painted for marriage chests (<i>cassoni</i>) in the popular Florentine workshop of Apollonio di Giovanni. Focusing on Apollonio’s subnarrative of Odysseus’ clash with the Cyclops Polyphemus (the <i>Cyclopeia</i>), I argue that Apollonio showcased this archetypal tale of a failed guest⁻host relationship to explore contemporary anxieties associated with marriage, an institution that figured prominently in the political and economic ambitions of fifteenth-century patriarchal families. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T07:07:51Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-9a5c01be05f347dea994a9f28826cd82 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-0787 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T07:07:51Z |
| publishDate | 2018-10-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Humanities |
| spelling | doaj.art-9a5c01be05f347dea994a9f28826cd822022-12-22T02:56:56ZengMDPI AGHumanities2076-07872018-10-017410710.3390/h7040107h7040107Odysseus and the Cyclops: Constructing Fear in Renaissance Marriage Chest PaintingsMargaret Franklin0James Pearson Duffy Department of Art and Art History, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48202, USARecent scholarship addressing access to Homer’s epics during the Italian Renaissance has illuminated the unique importance of visual narratives for the dissemination and interpretation of material associated with the Trojan War and its heroes. This article looks at early fifteenth-century images deriving from the Odyssey that were painted for marriage chests (<i>cassoni</i>) in the popular Florentine workshop of Apollonio di Giovanni. Focusing on Apollonio’s subnarrative of Odysseus’ clash with the Cyclops Polyphemus (the <i>Cyclopeia</i>), I argue that Apollonio showcased this archetypal tale of a failed guest⁻host relationship to explore contemporary anxieties associated with marriage, an institution that figured prominently in the political and economic ambitions of fifteenth-century patriarchal families.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0787/7/4/107cassoneApollonio di Giovanninarrative paintingRenaissanceHomerOdysseyOdysseusPolyphemusXeniahospitiummarriagedowry |
| spellingShingle | Margaret Franklin Odysseus and the Cyclops: Constructing Fear in Renaissance Marriage Chest Paintings Humanities cassone Apollonio di Giovanni narrative painting Renaissance Homer Odyssey Odysseus Polyphemus Xenia hospitium marriage dowry |
| title | Odysseus and the Cyclops: Constructing Fear in Renaissance Marriage Chest Paintings |
| title_full | Odysseus and the Cyclops: Constructing Fear in Renaissance Marriage Chest Paintings |
| title_fullStr | Odysseus and the Cyclops: Constructing Fear in Renaissance Marriage Chest Paintings |
| title_full_unstemmed | Odysseus and the Cyclops: Constructing Fear in Renaissance Marriage Chest Paintings |
| title_short | Odysseus and the Cyclops: Constructing Fear in Renaissance Marriage Chest Paintings |
| title_sort | odysseus and the cyclops constructing fear in renaissance marriage chest paintings |
| topic | cassone Apollonio di Giovanni narrative painting Renaissance Homer Odyssey Odysseus Polyphemus Xenia hospitium marriage dowry |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0787/7/4/107 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT margaretfranklin odysseusandthecyclopsconstructingfearinrenaissancemarriagechestpaintings |