Artwork
Hermes Ordering Calypso to Release Odysseus
Hermes Ordering Calypso to Release Odysseus is an oil painting by the Flemish Baroque painting artist Gerard de Lairesse. It dates from 1670 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The subject matter symbolizes the tension between divine will and human emotion, highlighting the gods' authority over mortal fates.
Gerard de Lairesse's 1670 oil painting depicts a pivotal narrative moment from Greek mythology, illustrating the divine intervention that ends Odysseus's seven-year captivity. The composition visualizes the scene where the messenger god Hermes arrives on the island of Ogygia to deliver Zeus's command to the nymph Calypso, ordering her to release the stranded hero. As a work of mythological painting, the piece relies on the identification of its three central figures: the divine envoy Hermes, the reluctant nymph Calypso, and the mortal Odysseus.
The subject matter symbolizes the tension between divine will and human emotion, highlighting the gods' authority over mortal fates. By capturing the moment of confrontation between the divine messenger and the nymph, the artwork represents the inevitable transition from supernatural isolation to the hero's long-awaited journey home, adhering to the classical tradition of illustrating epic literary themes.
Technique & Style
Executed in oil paint on canvas, the work measures 91.4 by 113.7 centimeters and was produced in the Netherlands in 1670. The painting is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art. Its mythological subject, depicting Hermes, Calypso, and Odysseus, is rendered through the medium of oil paint, a technique characteristic of Flemish seventeenth-century practice. The classification of the work as a mythological painting reflects its narrative content drawn from classical sources.
Context
Gerard de Lairesse's 1670 oil on canvas titled Hermes Ordering Calypso to Release Odysseus exemplifies Dutch Golden Age mythological painting, a genre he specialized in. The work, depicting the mythic scene of Hermes commanding Calypso to free Odysseus, was created in the Netherlands and later entered the Cleveland Museum of Art collection. Its composition and subject reflect the late Baroque fascination with classical narratives, positioning Lairesse among the era's leading painters of mythological subjects. Scholars note the painting's technical mastery and its role in bridging Dutch realism with the idealized classicism of the 17th century.
Overview
Gerard de Lairesse's 'Hermes Ordering Calypso to Release Odysseus,' executed in 1670, depicts a pivotal moment from Homer's Odyssey where the messenger god Hermes commands the nymph Calypso to free the stranded hero Odysseus. The composition is characterized by the artist's signature classicizing style, which blends Dutch Baroque dynamism with French academic order. In the center, Calypso is shown kneeling in a white garment, receiving the divine mandate from Hermes, who is distinguished by his red drapery and winged sandals.
The scene is populated by a host of secondary figures, including floating putti and attendants holding attributes such as flowers and books, set against a backdrop of clouds and a rocky landscape. Painted during the height of Lairesse's career in Amsterdam, before his later shift toward a more rigid neoclassical manner, this work exemplifies his mastery of mythological narrative and his ability to stage complex groupings with theatrical clarity. The painting reflects the 17th-century Dutch interest in classical literature and the artist's role in codifying a visual language for mythological subjects that would influence generations of history painters.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Gerard or Gérard (de) Lairesse (French pronunciation:; 11 September 1641 – June 1711) was a Dutch Golden Age painter and art theorist.
