In the painting, Penelope is portrayed as sobbing on a chair with a bow in her hands. It’s hard to really read what emotion her face is portraying but her body language makes it look like she’s relieved. She is laying her forehead on her hand and coddling the bow in her other arm. The painting uses a lot of dark brown but also bright yellow and red. Her face looks like a mix of emotions. I feel like she might not be crying because she’s sad but it’s hard to tell what she’s crying about.

The book with the bow occurs when Odysseus finally returns home in disguise. He reveals his true identity, and with the help of his son Telemachus, he challenges the suitors to string his great bow and shoot an arrow through twelve axe heads. Penelope, who is aware of her husband’s exceptional skill with the bow, becomes emotional when she sees that the beggar (Odysseus in disguise) can handle the bow with ease. Her tears are a mix of joy and relief at her husband’s return and sorrow for the hardships he has endured during his long journey.

My initial analysis of the painting was proven correct after researching the history of the painting. Penelope is crying but it is not out of sorrow it is because of joy and relief, or to put it better she’s crying tears of joy. I also want to point out the symbolism that is the bow of Ulysses, the bow itself could be a symbol of Odysseus’ return and his heroic prowess. It represents his unique skill and strength, which are central to the story. Additionally, the bow could symbolize the bond between Penelope and Odysseus, as she has been faithfully waiting for his return. Warm and soft colors are used to evoke a sense of tenderness and emotional depth. The lighting is focused on Penelope, further emphasizing her importance in the scene. The colors to the right of Penelope are dark while the colors to the left are bright. I feel like the colors the artist used could be used to convey coming out of the darkness and into the light. Penelope was likely so tired and depressed counting the days till Odysseus’s return so the colors could be symbolizing her coming out of depression. The artist must have thought out that people viewing his painting would maybe miss the story his painting was trying to portray. The main thing I noticed in this painting was her body language I feel it tells the story the best out of anything else in the painting, so my theory is he made the clothing Penelope is wearing really stand out and pop. I mean the attention to detail on her clothes is outstanding, it draws the viewer attention in hopes they will notice her body language. The painting aims to capture the emotional depth and complexity of the characters and her story while using artistic elements to convey the significance of the moment within the broader narrative of “The Odyssey.”