Ulysses Deriding Polyphemus

J. M. W. Turner

1829 · Oil on canvas · National Gallery, London

Size2:3 ratio

Frame

$59Unframed print · made to order

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Complete the setHangs well with these two

This print

Ulysses Deriding Polyphemus

Approach to Venice

Dido Building Carthage

3 × $59 at 16 × 24 in, unframed = $177 → $159.30 as a set · 10% included · free shipping

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Giclée-printed to order on heavyweight matte fine-art paper

Ships worldwide in 3–6 business days after production

Arrives perfect or we reprint it — free

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About this work

Artist: J. M. W. Turner (1775–1851)
Year: 1829
Medium: Oil on canvas
Original size: 132 × 203 cm
Collection: National Gallery, London
Movement: Romanticism

Ulysses stands on the deck of his ship in a scarlet cloak, arms raised in triumph, taunting the blinded Cyclops Polyphemus, whose vast shadowy body sprawls like a cloud across the clifftop above. Sea nymphs glimmer at the prow, the horses of Apollo rise with the sun, and the whole scene dissolves in morning haze. The subject is from Book IX of Homer's Odyssey. Turner painted it in 1829, working from oil sketches made in Italy the year before, and exhibited it at the Royal Academy that summer. Colour and light carry the drama more than the figures do, which is why it is often seen as the turning point towards his late manner; Ruskin in 1856 called it the central picture of Turner's career. It entered the National Gallery in London with the Turner Bequest in 1856.

This exhibition-poster edition shows the whole work beneath original typography set in-house. The original is in the public domain.

Where it works

A scarlet cloak, sea nymphs and a scene dissolving in morning haze, for a living room, study or hallway at 24×36 in black. A warm grey, cream or deep blue wall; it is colour and light first and reads from a distance.

Style: Exhibition poster of a Romanticism painting
Era: 19th century (1829)
Orientation: Portrait
Palette: cream & beige
Mood: grand
Rooms: living room, dining room, dorm room, hallway or entryway
Good gift for: housewarming, art lovers

Size. Prints at 12×18, 16×24, 24×36 in — 12×18 for a shelf, desk or a gallery-wall grid; 16×24 above a desk, console or in a hallway; 24×36 as the statement piece above a sofa or bed.

Framing. Exhibition posters sit best in a slim black frame with no mat — the typeset margin is the mat.

Pairing. Pairs as a set of three with other famous painting prints (10% off three or more).

Details & materials

• Exhibition poster — original, drawn in-house • Heavyweight matte fine-art paper, giclée printed at 300 DPI • Sizes: 12×18, 16×24, 24×36 in; 12×18 and 16×24 and 24×36 also available framed in black or natural wood • Made to order; colours may vary slightly from screen

Shipping & returns

Produced in 2–4 business days, then shipped from the facility nearest you. Delivery is typically 3–6 business days (US/UK/EU) and 5–12 worldwide. Because each print is made to order we don't take change-of-mind returns, but if it arrives damaged or flawed we'll reprint or refund it — no return needed. Full policy →

Is this the whole painting, or a crop?

The whole work, uncropped. The exhibition-poster edition sets the complete image above typography designed in-house.

Is Ulysses Deriding Polyphemus — Homer's Odyssey in the public domain?

Yes. J. M. W. Turner (1775–1851) died more than 70 years ago and the work was published before 1929, so the painting itself is public domain. This print is a reproduction made from a high-resolution scan of the original, which is held by National Gallery.

What is it printed on?

Heavyweight matte fine-art paper with pigment inks, made to order in 12×18, 16×24 and 24×36 inches; the two larger sizes are also offered framed. Colours are matched to the scan, not brightened.

When was Ulysses Deriding Polyphemus — Homer's Odyssey painted, and in what medium?

Ulysses Deriding Polyphemus — Homer's Odyssey dates from 1829 and was made in oil on canvas; the original measures 132 × 203 cm.

What size works above a sofa or bed?

For a standard three-seat sofa or a queen bed, 24×36 inches reads as a single statement piece; 16×24 suits a narrower wall or a pairing. The print's proportions follow the original, so a landscape-format painting is wider than it is tall.

About this design

A museum-exhibition poster of J. M. W. Turner's Ulysses Deriding Polyphemus — Ulysses Deriding Polyphemus — the hero's ship sailing out beneath a blazing dawn as the blinded giant rages on the cliff — shown whole and uncropped beneath gallery typography. Light, Storm and Sea: The English Romantic, styled as a blockbuster exhibition print. A gallery-style exhibition poster: a celebrated public-domain artwork shown whole and uncropped beneath original exhibition typography set in-house — printed to order on heavyweight matte fine-art paper. Three sizes (12×18, 16×24, 24×36 in); the 16×24 and 24×36 are also offered framed. Part of the Madten Exhibition Posters Collection. — — — Printed to order and shipped by our production partner, Gelato.

Buy with confidence

The Madten promise

Gallery-grade archival giclée. Rich pigment inks on heavyweight fine-art paper (or gallery-wrapped canvas) — built to last, not a poster-shop print.

Arrives perfect or we reprint it — free. Every piece is made to order; if it shows up damaged or flawed we remake it, no return needed.

Free worldwide shipping. Made & shipped from the facility nearest you — most orders arrive in ~4–8 business days.

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