In Odilon Redon's painting "Cyclops" a man (most likely Homer's Odysseus) is hiding to escape the wondering cyclops (probably representing Polyphemus). While the technical aspects of the painting such as the murky colour pallet mixed with vibrant splashes of red, yellow and green interest me what really grabs my attention is the way that Polyphemus has been painted. Homer portrays the Cyclops as being a harsh, barbaric creatures that feast on the flesh of men, they were obviously meant to scare his audience. This barbaric humanoid figure has been depicted in many paintings and drawings over the years in much the same way which makes Redon's reinterpretation of the character very interesting. Instead of a humanoid figure Redon has painted a sickly yellow figure with a circular noseless head that stares at the viewer. Instead of an appearance of anger or malice the cyclops seams serene and calm which makes the blood covered smiling mouth much more disturbing. This reinterpretation of a well known creature creates a shocking painting that can freely display the views and styles of the painter much more freely than a painting that is restricted by traditional ideas. Using a well known story such as this and  using it to express my own unique interpretation would be a very interesting concept to try in my work.