The Seconda Macchina for the Chinea of 1742: Ulysses and the Sirens
1742
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
About the artist
1742
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
The Seconda Macchina for the Chinea of 1742: Ulysses and the Sirens is a 1742 ink by François Hutin, a Baroque work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This print shows a chaotic sea scene with a shipwreck in the waves. A half-naked man clings to a broken mast, while other figures float or struggle nearby. In the distance, a lighthouse sits on a rocky shore. The water is rough, with swirling lines that look like wind or danger. The man on the mast is Ulysses, resisting the song of the Sirens—mythical creatures with bird bodies and human heads, lurking in the clouds above. Their long hair and outstretched arms seem to pull him toward them. Next, look up etching to see how artists like Hutin made prints like this.
