Skip to Content

Romare Bearden: A Closer Look

Explore The Return of Odysseus (Homage to Pinturicchio and Benin) by artist Romare Bearden. The collage retells the epic tale of The Odyssey, celebrating the connections between The Odyssey’s characters and African-American history and culture. Engage in slow looking, learn more about the artist, and use stories of your own life to make art.

Download (.pdf) Preview Share
Cool-toned paper collage of a number of black figures in a room. In the left foreground, a small, female figure spins wool; behind her a larger female figure works an upright loom. A male figure strides across the frame. Three male figures stand to the side, and a figure carrying a knife enters the room through a doorway in the back. A large window in the background frames a mountainous island and a ship with white sails.

Romare Howard Bearden

The Return of Odysseus (Homage to Pinturicchio and Benin) is one in a series of collages by Romare Bearden retelling The Odyssey, an ancient Greek epic poem about a hero’s journey home. Using collage—the process of layering and pasting pieces of cut or torn paper, photographs, or fabric to create an image—Bearden transformed the tale, celebrating the connections between The Odyssey’s characters and African American history and culture.

Sign up for our enewsletter to receive updates.
Learn more

Image actions

Share

Suggested Terms