The image was done for the Steampunk Myths and Legends challenge. The composition and design expresses the drama of Penelope's and her newborn child's situation - facing absence of her husband Odysseus departing for war with Troy. He ends up not coming back for 20 years, the time during which Penelope struggles to maintain her position in the society and keep away suitors who try to take Odysseus' place.
Penelope is shown small against the great forces surrounding her and yet she appears bright and full of dignity.
In the foreground you can see Odysseus' warriors approaching and boarding his ship. Their visible self-assurance and confidence further emphasizes the inevitability of Odysseus' leaving.
It is a story of a woman who is deprived of her loved one and forced to resolve into complete self-reliance by forces of history and politics in the hands of men.