Artwork
Ulysses and Circe
Ulysses and Circe is a color painting by the Mannerist artist Bartholomeus Spranger. It dates from 1594 and is held in the collection of the Kunsthistorisches Museum.
About this work
Overview
Executed for the collection of Holy Roman Emperor Rudolf II in Prague, the work now resides in Vienna’s Kunsthistorisches Museum.
Bartholomeus Spranger’s 1594 oil painting *Ulysses and Circa* belongs to the Northern Mannerist tradition that flourished in the late 16th‑century Habsburg courts. Executed for the collection of Holy Roman Emperor Rudolf II in Prague, the work now resides in Vienna’s Kunsthistorisches Museum. It portrays a moment from the Homeric saga in which the hero Odysseus confronts the sorceress Circe, rendered in a vivid colour palette characteristic of Spranger’s court commissions.
Subject & Meaning
The composition captures the mythic encounter on Circe’s island, where the enchantress prepares to transform the wandering Greeks. A muscular female figure, shown from behind, suggests the seductive power of the witch, while a second woman in a blue gown and golden helm appears to command the scene, perhaps representing a divine or heroic presence overseeing the transformation. The juxtaposition of the two women underscores themes of temptation and control within the narrative.
Technique & Style
Spranger employs the elongated proportions and graceful poses typical of Northern Mannerism, merging Netherlandish attention to detail with Italianate sensuality. A stark chiaroscuro contrast illuminates the back of the central figure, rendering her skin almost luminous against a dimly lit interior populated by fragmented architectural elements—a broken column, a fallen helmet, and a half‑filled goblet. The smooth modeling of flesh and the careful handling of light guide the viewer’s gaze toward the focal figure.
History & Provenance
Created while Spranger served as court painter to Emperor Rudolf II, the painting formed part of the imperial collection that emphasized exotic mythological subjects. After the dissolution of the Habsburg court’s holdings, the canvas entered the Kunsthistorisches Museum’s inventory, where it has been displayed as an example of late‑Renaissance court art. Its provenance traces a continuous line from the Prague workshop to the Viennese national collection.
Artist & collection
Artist
Bartholomeus Spranger or Bartholomaeus Spranger (21 March 1546 – 27 June 1611) was a Flemish painter, draughtsman, sculptor, and designer of prints.
