Performing Arts in Art
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Odysseus and the Daughters of Lycomedes, Baldassare Peruzzi
Odysseus and the
Daughters of Lycomedes
Baldassare Peruzzi
Italian, about 1520
Pen and brown ink and black chalk,
heightened with white bodycolor,
squared in black chalk
6 15/16 x 9 1/2 in.
85.GG.39
Background Information
Knowing that her son would die if he
fought in the Trojan War, Achilles’
mother, Thetis, sent him to live with the
daughters of King Lycomedes of
Scyros disguised as a woman.
Odysseus, king of Ithaca, who wanted
Achilles to fight against Troy, went to Lycomedes’ palace dressed as a merchant. He offered the
daughters jewelry and clothing but also included a sword, spear, and shield. When a trumpet
sounded, Achilles automatically grabbed the weapons, thus revealing his disguise. Here, Odysseus
stands at the left, inviting the daughters into the palace.
Baldassare Peruzzi produced this drawing in preparation for one of four oval frescoes in a Roman
villa. The drawing’s high degree of finish, with no visible corrections made by the artist, indicates that
it may have been used as a finished study for a larger work.
About the Artist
Baldassare Peruzzi (Italian, born Siena 1481, died Rome 1536)
Baldassare Peruzzi was very successful as a draftsman and architect, although he also created
paintings. He made much-admired studies of antique buildings during the Renaissance, a period of
history that began in the fourteenth century and saw a renewed interest in the study of classical
antiquity. Renaissance thinkers believed that the arts and humanities had declined during the
Middle Ages and were fascinated by Greco-Roman literature, history, art, and philosophy. Many of
Peruzzi’s painted house facades, all now destroyed, included antique themes and were meant to
look like grand “ancient” sculptural facades.
Upon arriving in Rome from Siena in 1502, Peruzzi used perspective to give his two-dimensional
mural paintings a three-dimensional appearance. He also painted theater perspectives later used in
a treatise on architecture. In 1515, he designed a new facade for Bologna Cathedral and later
worked on a church, chapel, and palazzo in the town. When Raphael died in 1520, Peruzzi
succeeded him as architect of Saint Peter’s Basilica in Rome, using drawing as a tool to understand
and further develop the existing plans.
© 2011 J. Paul Getty Trust
© 2011 J. Paul Getty Trust.
This education resource is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.
Performing Arts
Performing
in Art Arts in Art
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and
forQuestions
Teaching for Teaching
Odysseus Odysseus
and the Daughters
and the Daughters
of Lycomedes,
of Lycomedes,
BaldassareBaldassare
Peruzzi Peruzzi
Following the Sack
Following
of Rome
the Sack
in 1527,
of Rome
Peruzzi
in 1527,
retreated
Peruzzi
to Siena,
retreated
where
to he
Siena,
became
where
architect
he became
for the
architect for the
city. Here he improved
city. Herefortifications,
he improveddevised
fortifications,
a minting
devised
machine,
a minting
and machine,
constructed
and
several
constructed
villas. He
several villas. He
also designed also
a dome
designed
and altar
a dome
for the
and
modernization
altar for the modernization
of Siena Cathedral
of Siena
andCathedral
reconstructed
and reconstructed
a dam.
a dam.
© 2011 J. Paul Getty Trust© 2011 J. Paul Getty Trust
© 2011 J. Paul Getty Trust.
3
3
This education resource is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.
Performing Arts
Performing
in Art
Arts in Art
Information and
Information
Questionsand
for Questions
Teaching for Teaching
Odysseus and
Odysseus
the Daughters
and the of
Daughters
Lycomedes,
of Lycomedes,
BaldassareBaldassare
Peruzzi
Peruzzi
Questions for
Questions
Teaching
for Teaching
Take the time toTake
lookthe
closely
time at
to the
lookdrawing
closely and
at the
share
drawing
your and
initial
share
observations.
your initial observations.
What do the columns
What do
in the background
columns in the
reveal
background
about where
reveal
theabout
scene
where
is happening?
the scene (The
is happening? (The
columns may indicate
columns
a palace.)
may indicate a palace.)
Look closely at Look
the figure
closely
on at
the
the
left.
figure
Based
on on
thehis
left.pose,
Based
what
on do
his you
pose,
think
what
hedo
could
yoube
think
saying
he could
to be saying to
the women on the
the right?
women
(He
onmight
the right?
be inviting
(He might
thembe
inside.)
inviting them inside.)
Look at the second
Lookfigure
at thefrom
second
the figure
right. Based
from the
onright.
her pose,
Based
what
on her
do you
pose,
think
what
she
doisyou
doing?
think(Her
she is doing? (Her
raised arm is holding
raised aarm
piece
is holding
of fabrica as
piece
if she
of fabric
is hiding
as something,
if she is hiding
andsomething,
her right hand
andisher
placed
right on
hand is placed on
the shoulder of the
the shoulder
figure to her
of the
right,
figure
as iftopushing
her right,
the
asfigure
if pushing
away.the
She
figure
looks
away.
like she
Shemay
looks
belike she may be
hiding the figure.)
hiding the figure.)
This drawing depicts
This drawing
Odysseus,
depicts
kingOdysseus,
of Ithaca, searching
king of Ithaca,
for Achilles.
searching
It had
for Achilles.
been foretold
It hadtobeen foretold to
Achilles’ mother,
Achilles’
Thetis, mother,
that her Thetis,
son would
that die
herinson
thewould
Trojandie
War.
in the
To Trojan
preventWar.
this To
from
prevent
occurring,
this from occurring,
Achilles had been
Achilles
dressed
hadas
been
a maiden
dressed
and
assent
a maiden
to liveand
among
sentthe
to live
daughters
amongofthe
Lycomedes.
daughters of
DoLycomedes. Do
you think Achilles
youisthink
pictured
Achilles
in the
is drawing?
pictured inWhat
the drawing?
do you see
What
in the
do drawing
you see that
in the
makes
drawing
youthat
say makes you say
so?
so?
Based on the poses
Basedofon
thethe
figures
posesand
of the
what
figures
you know
and what
of theyou
story
know
of Achilles
of the story
so far,
of Achilles
what do so
youfar, what do you
think happens next?
think happens next?
© 2011 J. Paul Getty Trust © 2011 J. Paul Getty Trust
© 2011 J. Paul Getty Trust.
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4
This education resource is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.