Odysseus op het eiland van Circe 1537 - 1550

Antonio da Trento created this intriguing roundel print, "Odysseus on the Island of Circe," around the mid-16th century using chiaroscuro woodcut. The composition is structured to draw your eye across several distinct planes. On the left, we see Odysseus's men being offered a potion; Circe stands in the center, while transformed men are in the lower and right portions of the print. The use of light and shadow delineates figures, creating a dynamic visual field within the circular frame. Notice the serpentine forms of the transformed men; this seems to serve as a visual metaphor for the deceptive and transformative powers of Circe. This work engages with themes of transformation and illusion, mirroring the philosophical debates of the Renaissance. The artist masterfully uses form and composition to explore the tension between appearance and reality. This print functions not just as an illustration of Homer’s epic but as a study of how we perceive and interpret the world around us.