Romare 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. The work linked above is part of Bearden’s Odyssey series and is called Siren’s Song.
Please answer the following questions:
1) What scene from the Odyssey does this painting depict?
2) How does Bearden’s representation of this story differ from any other visual representations of this same story that you encountered?
3) What interpretation of this story might Bearden be offering? Use details from the painting to support your answer.