Penelope1.0005_Pinturicchio

Pinturicchio, so-called, Bernardino di Betto da Perugia (fl. 1481, d. 1513) "Scenes from the Odyssey," 1509, British National Gallery, inv. 911

Penelope weaves at her loom, anchoring the composition's feminine side; Telemachus strides into her space — an allusion to Homer's allowing Telemachus the same liminality. Over Telemachus' left shoulder, three suitors pose variously and Odysseus in disguise prepares to approach. Penelope's ultimate weapon, the intuition that will devise the test of the bow, is represented by the strategically placed bow itself on the wall behind.

Pandolfo Petrucci commissioned the decoration of the family's Palazzo del Magnifico in Siena for his son's wedding. Classical narratives, historical and mythological, showcase the patron's learned taste. Mural frescoes by Luca Signorelli and the Pinturicchio ceiling are preserved in London's NatGal and the NYC Met. Other frescoes in the same room celebrate "the triumph of chastity" and other family values.