A large oil painting showing a scene from Homer’s Odyssey by the Victorian painter Briton Riviere (1840-1920) will go under the hammer for the first time in a century.
The 2ft 3in x 4ft 3in (68cm x 1.3m) oil on canvas Circe and the friends of Ulysses, depicts the episode when the beautiful enchantress lures Ulysses’ men to a feast and slips a potion into their drinks that transforms the men into pigs. It was first exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1871 where it was met with critical acclaim, particularly for the depiction of the swine.