Penelope Ulixis coniuge · Centre for Early Modern Visual Culture

Title: Penelope Ulixis coniuge
Period: 1450-1500;
Geographic: Ancient Greece; Ithaca
Description: This image depicts Penelope, the wife of Ulysses, weaving on the left side of the engraving as she waits for her husband to return from the Trojan War. Penelope had many suitors over the 20 years that she waited for Ulysses to return home; however, Boccaccio explains in his story that Penelope remained entirely faithful over the duration of his absence. Penelope told the suitors that she would continue to wait for her husband to return until she was done weaving a cloth, which is why she is depicted weaving in this engraving. Each night, she would undo all the weaving she had done that day so she could continue waiting for Ulysses. When Ulysses finally returned home, he had slain every suitor in his palace. Ulysses is depicted on the right side of the engraving, disguised in peasant clothing with a sword in his hand as he kills the suitors.
Image Creator: Anonymous (Engraver)
Type: Text; Woodcut Engraving
Identifier: mta:18161
Language: lat
Source Name: Iohannis Bocacij in librum de claris mulieribus
Parent Collection: 1487 Leuven; 1487 Leuven
Image: mta_18161_OBJ.jpg
Collection: Early Modern Women
Subject: Ulysses; Greek Mythology; Important Women; Famous Women; Important Queens; The Trojan War; Devotion; Penelope