Penelope

In 1851 the Philadelphia surgeon John Rhea Barton visited Rinaldi's studio in Rome and chose this marble statue of Penelope as a gift for the Academy. The subject of the statue comes from Homer's "The Odyssey." Penelope, the wife of Odysseus, was besieged by suitors during her husband's long absence. For several years, she put them off by promising to choose a new husband when she had finished her weaving, which she secretly undid every night. Her trickery was eventually discovered, but she was saved by the arrival of Odysseus in disguise. Recognizing him as she sat among her suitors, Penelope proposed that they compete for her hand by a trial of strength and skill in archery, which she knew only Odysseus could win. The statue shows Penelope, holding the bow and arrows, about to make the challenge.