On view for the month of February
Romare Bearden
1911-1988
Odysseus Series, c. 1977
Group of 20 works; watercolor and pencil on paper
Various dimensions
$ 1,950,000.00
Romare Bearden's series of twenty watercolors reimagines Homer's ancient epic The Odyssey through meticulous attention to compositional structure, color, and narrative. Bearden captures the mythical creatures and harrowing trials that Odysseus confronts on his quest to return home to Ithaca following the fall of Troy.
Though celebrated primarily for his innovative collage work, Bearden possessed exceptional talent as both painter and draftsman. A passionate scholar of human civilization and literary tradition, he frequently drew upon classical texts, weaving complex symbolism throughout his compositions. His dynamic portrayals of Black American life, from contemporary Harlem streetscapes to remembered Southern landscapes, emphasized ritual as a fundamental thread connecting all humanity, making it one of his most enduring themes. By depicting the entire cast in the series as Black figures, Bearden illuminates enduring connections between ancient quests for belonging and the modern African American experience.
By selecting Odysseus, literature's archetypal wanderer perpetually searching for home, Bearden evoked a personal narrative alongside the broader stories of America's Great Migration and the transatlantic slave trade's brutal displacement of millions of Africans across four centuries. Unlike Homer's triumphalist vision of conquest, Bearden's conception celebrates the human spirit's tenacity and its remarkable ability to persevere through adversity and emerge victorious.
A passionate scholar of human civilization and literary tradition, Bearden frequently drew upon classical texts, weaving complex symbolism throughout his compositions. His dynamic portrayals of Black American life, from contemporary Harlem streetscapes to remembered Southern landscapes, emphasized ritual as a fundamental thread connecting all humanity, making it one of his most enduring themes. By depicting the entire cast of The Odyssey as Black figures, Bearden illuminates enduring connections between ancient quests for belonging and the modern African American experience.
Bearden evoked a personal narrative alongside the broader stories of America's Great Migration and the transatlantic slave trade's brutal displacement of millions of Africans across four centuries. Unlike Homer's triumphalist vision of conquest, Bearden's conception celebrates the human spirit's tenacity and its remarkable ability to persevere through adversity and emerge victorious.
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Romare Bearden
1911-1988
The Fall of Troy, c. 1977
Signed at upper right: Romare / bearden
Watercolor and pencil on paper
6 x 8⅛ inches
15.2 x 20.6 cm -
Romare Bearden
1911-1988
Battle with Cicones, c. 1977
Signed at upper left: Rom / are / bear / den
Watercolor and pencil on paper
9¾ x 13 inches
24.8 x 33 cm -
Romare Bearden
1911-1988
The Land of the Lotus Eaters, c. 1977
Watercolor and pencil on paper
6⅛ x 8¼ inches
15.6 x 21 cm -
Romare Bearden
1911-1988
The Cyclops, c. 1977
Signed at lower right: Rom / are / bear / den
Watercolor and pencil on paper
7½ x 5⅝ inches
19.1 x 14.3 cm -
Romare Bearden
1911-1988
Circe's Domain, c. 1977
Signed at lower right: Rom / are / bear / den
Watercolor and pencil on paper
6 x 8 inches
15.2 x 20.3 cm -
Romare Bearden
1911-1988
Circe Turns a Companion of Odysseus into a Swine, c. 1977
Signed at center right: Rom / are / bear / den
Watercolor and pencil on paper
6⅛ x 8½ inches
15.6 x 21.6 cm -
Romare Bearden
1911-1988
Odysseus Leaves Circe, c. 1977
Signed at lower right: Rom / are / bear / den
Watercolor and pencil on paper
10 x 12¾ inches
25.4 x 32.4 cm -
Romare Bearden
1911-1988
Realm of the Shades, c. 1977
Signed at upper left: Rom / are / bear / den
Watercolor and pencil on paper
6⅛ x 8⅜ inches
15.6 x 21.3 cm -
Romare Bearden
1911-1988
The Sirens' Song, c. 1977
Signed at upper right: Rom / are / bear / den
Watercolor and pencil on paper
6⅛ x 8⅜ inches
15.6 x 21.3 cm -
Romare Bearden
1911-1988
Scylla and Charybdis, c. 1977
Signed at upper right: Rom / are / bear / den
Watercolor and pencil on paper
5¾ x 6¼ inches
14.6 x 15.9 cm -
Romare Bearden
1911-1988
Cattle of the Sun God, c. 1977
Signed at lower left: Rom / are / bear / den
Watercolor and pencil on paper
6⅛ x 7½ inches
15.6 x 19.1 cm -
Romare Bearden
1911-1988
Calypso's Sacred Grove, c. 1977
Signed at lower left: Rom / are / bear / den
Watercolor and pencil on paper
6 x 7½ inches
15.2 x 19.1 cm -
Romare Bearden
1911-1988
Poseidon the Sea God - Enemy of Odysseus, c. 1977
Signed at lower right: Romare / bearden
Watercolor and pencil on paper
9 x 6 inches
22.9 x 15.2 cm -
Romare Bearden
1911-1988
The Sea Nymph, c. 1977
Signed at lower left: romare bearden
Watercolor and pencil on paper
8½ x 6⅛ inches
21.6 x 15.6 cm -
Romare Bearden
1911-1988
Odysseus Leaves Nausicaa, c. 1977
Signed at lower right: Rom / are / bear / den
Watercolor and pencil on paper
6 x 8¼ inches
15.2 x 21 cm -
Romare Bearden
1911-1988
Home to Ithaca, c. 1977
Watercolor and pencil on paper
5⅝ x 9 inches
14.3 x 22.9 cm -
Romare Bearden
1911-1988
Odysseus Meets his Father, c. 1977
Signed at lower right: rom / are / bear / den
Watercolor and pencil on paper
8¾ x 5⅞ inches
22.2 x 14.9 cm -
Romare Bearden
1911-1988
The Return of Odysseus, c. 1977
Signed at lower right: Rom / are / bear / den
Watercolor and pencil on paper
6¼ x 7⅞ inches
15.9 x 20 cm -
Romare Bearden
1911-1988
The Bow of Odysseus, c. 1977
Signed at lower left: Rom / are / bear / den
Watercolor and pencil on paper
5¾ x 8 inches
14.6 x 20.3 cm -
Romare Bearden
1911-1988
Odysseus and Penelope Reunited, c. 1977
Watercolor and pencil on paper
6¼ x 7¾ inches
15.9 x 19.7 cm
© Romare Bearden Foundation / Licensed by VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / Photo Credit: Victoria Loeb
Courtesy of Schoelkopf Gallery. Copyright © the Artists.
