The Iliad and the Odyssey 1834

These illustrations of Homer's *Iliad* and *Odyssey* were made by John Flaxman, who lived in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. They're not paintings or sculptures, but etchings – prints made by incising lines into a metal plate. The key to understanding Flaxman is to appreciate the context for his work: the industrial revolution. At this time, new reproductive technologies were emerging. Flaxman was a highly skilled artist, of course, yet his work was also conceived for mass production. With these economical line drawings, he met the popular demand for classical imagery. The image is all line, without shading or painterly effects. Look closely, and you will see that it has a cool, detached quality, perfect for mechanical reproduction, and wide distribution. Flaxman was unusual for his time in embracing the print medium so wholeheartedly. But it allowed him to reach a far wider audience than he ever could have through unique works of art. In doing so, he brought ancient stories to modern life.