unconcerned, Ulysses listens to the siren's song 1943

Kurt Seligmann created this work, "unconcerned, Ulysses listens to the siren's song," using graphite and gouache. The drawing presents a surreal landscape populated by amorphous figures wrapped in spiraling forms. A muted palette of pinks, yellows, and grays creates an ethereal atmosphere. Seligmann, associated with Surrealism, often explored themes of myth and the subconscious. In this piece, he visually represents the tension between Ulysses's rational self and the seductive, irrational call of the sirens. The swirling lines and abstracted forms destabilize clear distinctions, echoing the disorientation and psychological turmoil of the mythological encounter. The careful rendering of drapery-like folds suggests a concern with volume and texture, yet these forms remain elusive, resisting fixed interpretation. The composition's unsettling quality highlights the broader Surrealist project of challenging fixed meanings. It prompts ongoing questions about the nature of desire, reason, and the self.