Odyssey Cycle 2
1864
Friedrich Preller the Elder brings Homer's epic to life in this dramatic scene from his famous 'Odyssey Cycle.' Here, the enchantress Circe stands confidently on her palace steps, waving her wand to transform Odysseus's crew into wild beasts—a fate you can see unfolding as men cower and animals roam the courtyard. Painted in 1864 during the height of German Romanticism, Preller's work is celebrated for its lush, atmospheric landscapes that almost steal the show from the mythological drama. These scenes were so beloved that they helped define how 19th-century audiences visualized the ancient Greek world, blending human emotion with the wild power of nature.