An epic journey home: The Odyssey and its history at Christie’s

The Odyssey begins by imploring the muses — the ancient Greek goddesses of artistic inspiration — to recall the tale of Odysseus. The exact wording of the plea varies depends on your translation of the ancient Greek, but the story that follows is recognisable to anyone: a lost man trying to get home at all costs. With iconic characters like the Cyclops Polyphemus, the listless lotus-eaters and a whole host of Greek gods, the poem has endured for millennia and been adapted in music, in film, in literature, in painting, in sculpture and more. A tale that spans themes of travelling, marriage, hospitality, parenthood, growing up, grief, loyalty and leadership, it’s instantly relatable for audiences across all ages and time periods.

This summer, the poem — which at 24 books, or chapters, is considered the foundation of much of Western literature — will once again be reimagined in a new film from Oscar-winning director Christopher Nolan, who assembled a cast of exceptional actors like Matt Damon (as Odysseus), Anne Hathaway (as his wife Penelope), Tom Holland (as his son Telemachus), Robert Pattinson, Zendaya and more.

From Greek and Roman antiquities to rare copies of The Odyssey, we revisit a selection of remarkable objects inspired by the classic tale, all previously sold at Christie’s.

This bust of Odysseus (also featuring the hero’s signature beard and pilos cap) hails from circa late 1st century to early 2nd century A.D. Its first known owner was Frederick Augustus Hervey, an earl who was fascinated by and collected antiquities. The bust shows signs of restoration in the manner of Bartolomeo Cavaceppi, a sculptor who was seemingly friendly with Hervey.

According to the book Heroes: Mortals and Myths in Ancient Greece, the bust ‘accord[s] with the depiction of a traveller instead of a well-groomed Greek living in the comfort of his house’, meaning it likely depicts Odysseus at some point during his journey.

Odysseus’ encounter with the goddess Calypso ends up taking up the majority of his ten-year journey home. After he’s shipwrecked on Calypso’s island, she enchants and seduces him; he ends up staying with her for seven years until Zeus orders his release.

This illustration by Newell Convers Wyeth originates from Charles Herbert Palmer’s 1929 translation of The Odyssey. Wyeth was one of the leading illustrators of his time; he had previously worked on illustrations for reissues of popular classic books like Treasure Island and Robinson Crusoe. His image of Odysseus and Calypso is painted in vivid colours, depicting the enchantress Calypso bathed in light in the foreground, while Odysseus kneels in the dark background.

One of The Odyssey’s most indelible characters is that of Circe, a goddess who turns Odysseus’ men into swine and with whom Odysseus begins a relationship, remaining on her island for a year before continuing his journey home.

Flemish artist Jacob Jordaens depicts the moment when Odysseus confronts Circe and forces her to return his men back to their human form. Odysseus brandishes a sword over Circe as he violently grasps the front of her dress; two pigs can also be seen in the bottom right corner of the image.

This extraordinary fragment comes from a fourth-century edition of The Iliad, Homer’s epic poem about the Trojan War, which preceded the events of The Odyssey. The fragment comes from a papyrus codex (an early form of the modern book) and contains lines from the first book of The Iliad; specifically, an opening quarrel between Achilles and Agamemnon that sets the scene for the entire tale — and the one that follows, The Odyssey.

George Chapman’s translations of The Iliad and The Odyssey were published in 1598 and 1614-15, respectively, a few years before he published The Whole Works of Homer — the first-ever complete English translation of Homer’s works.

The patron who commissioned this work, Henry Frederick, the Prince of Wales, died of typhoid fever at age 18, and the book was edited to add an engraved memorial in his honor.

French artist Georges Braque was a voracious reader and a particular fan of the Ancient Greek classics. In 1931, he was commissioned to create a series of etchings for a special edition of Hesiod’s Theogony (an epic poem chronicling the history of the Greek gods). For this project, Braque created two large etchings, one of Odysseus and one of Circe, the goddess who entraps Odysseus on his journey.

While working on the etchings, Braque explored the subjects through other media, including this pastel-on-paper work featuring an abstract depiction of Odysseus.

This lekythos (an ancient Greek vessel primarily used for storing oil) also depicts the portion of The Odyssey where Odysseus and his men escape the cave of the Cyclops Polyphemus; it was a popular tale to depict in early Greek art.

In the center of the vessel, which hails from circa 510 to 500 B.C., Odysseus can be seen fastened underneath a ram, making his escape. Polyphemus is also depicted, seated on a rock, holding a club and unaware of Odysseus’ deception.