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Portrait of a Lady of Elizabeth's Court - attributed to William Segar 1590

Herbert Draper - Ulysses and The Sirens 1909

A variant on the neo-classical tradition of the late Victorian era, Draper's pictures often had a nautical theme; he was particularly fond of painting nymphs and mermaids.

Herbert Draper - Ulysses and The Sirens 1909

The subject of the painting is taken from Greek legend, as described in Homer's Odyssey, the epic poem describing the adventures of Ulysses (Odysseus) on his journey home from Troy.

Ulysses and his men had to sail past rocks where sirens sang, tempting sailors to their doom.

To overcome the temptation, Ulysses ordered his crew to plug their ears and keep rowing, whilst he tied himself to the ship's mast.

Take a look at the Case Study page  for an example of how to use a painting in an Art Across the Curriculum Project and the Teachers Notes page for additional ideas of Curriculum Links.