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Penelope
A Pre-Raphaelite Masterpiece. The Subject from Homer’s epic poem, The Odyssey. The work depicts Penelope, the wife of Odysseus (Ulysses), during his long absence following the Trojan War.
By: John Roddam Spencer Stanhope, 1864
The Epic Wait
For two decades, a queen waited patiently for her husband to return home from war. He was presumed dead, and her palace became overrun with over a hundred suitors, all vying for her hand and her throne. To hold them off, she devised a clever plan: she would agree to marry only after she finished weaving a large burial cloth. Every day she would weave in plain sight of her hopeful new husbands, but every night, she would secretly unravel all the work she had done.
A Faithful Queen, and A Desperate Trick
A Queen’s Vow
For two decades, Penelope, the faithful queen of Ithaca, waited for her husband to return from the Trojan War. He was presumed dead, and her palace became overrun with over a hundred greedy suitors, all vying for her hand and her throne. They feasted on her family’s wealth and harassed her to choose a new king, but Penelope refused to give up hope that her true love, Odysseus, was still alive.
The Desperate Trick
To hold the suitors off, Penelope came up with a clever plan. She promised to choose a husband only after she finished weaving a large burial cloth for her father-in-law. Every day she would weave diligently in plain sight, but every night, she would secretly unravel all the work she had done. This desperate trick kept the suitors at bay for years, a testament to her cleverness and unwavering loyalty.
The Painting
Stanhope’s painting takes a unique approach to the classic myth. Instead of placing Penelope in a royal hall, he depicts her in a serene, almost dreamlike orchard. She sits at her loom, looking weary and pensive, a quiet figure of sorrow and determination. The threads of her project stretch out before her, a visible representation of her ongoing, painstaking struggle. This choice of a natural, open setting creates a sense of profound isolation and contemplation, highlighting Penelope’s inner world rather than her public duties.
The Powerful Symbolism of Apples
The most compelling details in the painting are not with Penelope herself, but in the background. A young maidservant stands behind her, nonchalantly picking apples from a tree. On the ground, near a half-eaten apple, lie a few fallen ones. This is no accident. The apple is a powerful symbol of temptation, most famously associated with the Garden of Eden. By including them, Stanhope draws a direct parallel between the moral struggle of Eve and the constant temptation Penelope faces to give up her wait and choose a new husband.
A Tale of Two Women
Stanhope further explores this theme by contrasting Penelope and her maid. Penelope is shown with her hair neatly braided and her posture resigned yet dignified. Her simple dress and focused expression convey her unwavering virtue. In stark contrast, the maid’s loose, unkempt red-gold hair and seemingly carefree posture can be seen as representing the forces of temptation. She is the careless world and its many pleasures that are constantly at odds with Penelope’s noble and disciplined loyalty.
The Style
Stanhope’s style is pure Pre-Raphaelite: the vibrant colors, the soft, dreamlike figures, and the incredible attention to every little detail. The whole painting feels like a window into a secret, ancient world.
In the end, Stanhope’s Penelope is so much more than a simple illustration of a myth. It’s a portrait of a woman’s strength, her inner turmoil, and her ultimate triumph. It reminds us that some of the greatest stories aren’t just about epic battles, but about the quiet courage it takes to hold on to hope.
Beyond the Myth
The canvas delivers a truth deeper than any myth. It speaks not just of a queen’s fidelity, but of a universal human condition: the long, silent act of waiting. This painting is a mirror reflecting our own struggles against time, against temptation, and against the crushing weight of loneliness.
Penelope at her loom is every one of us facing a difficult task with quiet resolve. The apples are every easy distraction, every tempting shortcut that calls to us in our moments of weariness. Her braided hair, so orderly and firm, is the very essence of dignity and endurance.
Through Stanhope’s brush, this ancient story becomes a timeless meditation on patience. It whispers that true strength lies not in grand battles, but in the small, unseen acts of loyalty and the steadfast heart that refuses to unravel in the dark. It tells us that to wait with purpose is a triumph all its own.
This Painting Featured in (Spot the Difference Pre-Raphaelite: Interactive, Printable Flipbook) by Classic Art Puzzles.
