The image I selected depicts Odysseus gifting Polyphemus some of the wine they brought with them. The image features three main color tones: black, orange, and yellow. The three colors are reminiscent of ancient Greek artwork on things such as pottery, but the scene is instead presented in what is presumably paper format. It exhibits a striking sensation, with the men cowering behind Odysseus, who wears a much brighter outfit that stands out in front of them. The vibrant contrast from Odysseus to his men helps depict his heroic stature, as he confronts the giant cyclops. The cyclops, in contrast to Odysseus, is the same dull orange as the men, and the rest of the cave environment, and sits in a seemingly submissive position, submissive to Odysseus’s supposed act of kindness. The subjects of this image (Odysseus’s men, Odysseus, and the cyclops) stand out and pop because the background of the image is mostly black, and paints an image that draws anyone right into the moment, rather than analyzing the setting. It is a moment of Polyphemus surrendering his guard. The two seem rather at peace, while the men in fear behind Odysseus still appear distraught and uncertain of Odysseus’s plan. 

From my research, this image was derived from a depiction of a 1793 interpretation of the Odyssey, which has since been colored and shaded to an extent. There are several other colorizations of this depiction, some of which highlight different things, such as the cyclops’ eye being more vibrant and present. The most prevalent thing amongst these depictions however is the prominent contrast between the size of Odysseus and Polyphemus, showing how there was a real sense of hospitality between the two for the moment, despite what was really going on in the background unbeknownst to Polyphemus.

Without any previous visualization of this instance in the story, I hadn’t really perceived Polyphemus as that large. I had figured that he was certainly much larger than a normal human adult, but not as much as depicted in the image. I definitely think the lack of a greater color palette and simple shading helps establish the subjects over the background, and signifies that this is a pivotal moment in the story. The simple yet effective contrast shows the moment of emotional shift, as Polyphemus and Odysseus are essentially calmed to a point where the cyclops offers him a brief pardon from his anger against him, yet the men behind him depict a completely different picture. In other visual depictions I researched, Polyphemus always remains the center of the subject, with his size being the most prominent aspect. In terms of what is really lost from this particular depiction alongside others is the setting. The surrounding environment really plays no role in the size of the moment, as it might make the perspective of the large cyclops and the much smaller humans pop out more, given the barren state of the island and large vertical size. In the end, however, the biggest element at play in this scene is the connection between small and large, and any wider of a perspective would reduce the significance of Odysseus actually handing the wine over, instead of a giant cyclops with a faintly visible man to a background of towering rocks.