Reference no: EM133585458
Discussion Post
For this analytical discussion, we are going to discuss the painting "Siren's Song" by Romare Bearden. Bearden (1911-1988) was an American artist who created a series of twenty collages depicting scenes from the Odyssey. This series, called Black Odyssey, was created in 1977 and reflected Bearden's artistic focus on travelers finding their way home. This work is part of Bearden's Odyssey series and is called Siren's Song. You can view the painting at the National Gallery of Art's website and then read the brief description that follows.
View from a shore of a ship sailing past. Perhaps a dozen or so female figures are on the shore, watching the boat, several with their arms outstretched to the boat. One is playing a lyre. On the boat, a man can be seen tied high up on the mast, right behind the sail, while figures on the boat can be seen rowing and navigating the boat. Several birds can be seen, in the sky, on a tree, and in the bushes. All of the figures are painted with dark skin.
Task
Question I. What scene from the Odyssey does this painting depict?
Question II. How does Bearden's representation of this story differ from what you read in Lesson 12? How does it differ from any other visual representations of this same story that you encountered?
Question III. What interpretation of this story might Bearden be offering? Use details from the painting to support your answer.