Ulysses deriding Polyphemus
J. M. W. Turner · 1829
Why it's great
A ship with its blazing sails, in a sunrise full of colors, sails away as the hero Ulysses shouts at the giant Cyclops, a huge shape in the clouds. Turner painted a scene from the Odyssey, in a rich, magic light. The colors are amazing. It's one of his greatest masterpieces.
👀 Look closer!
Find the giant in the clouds. Where is the ship?
Where to see it
📍 National GalleryLondon, United Kingdom
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Three places to look for a print of this painting, from budget to museum-grade:
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J. M. W. Turner was born in London, the son of a barber, and became a student at the Royal Academy at just 14. He traveled across Britain and Europe, painting storms, ships, and sunsets in swirling light and color. He called the sky his subject, and his late paintings are almost abstract. He left thousands of works to the British nation when he died in London in 1851.
