“The Return of Ulysses,” created by Giorgio de Chirico in 1968 in Rome, Italy, is an exemplary piece of the Metaphysical art movement, falling under the genre of allegorical painting.
The artwork depicts a surreal indoor scene characterized by a small, wooden boat navigating a turbulent body of water that bizarrely occupies the wooden floor of a room. The figure rowing the boat, wearing ancient-style clothing, evokes the essence of Ulysses, the protagonist from Homer’s epic poems. The room’s walls are adorned with sparse but distinct furnishings: an ornate chair, a simplistic white chair with a woven seat, a classic armoire, and two framed pictures, one of which features a nautical scene visible through an open door. The juxtaposition of the natural elements with the indoor setting creates a dreamlike and enigmatic atmosphere, characteristic of de Chirico’s metaphysical style, which often blends reality with fantastical elements.
