Who painted Odysseus and Calypso?

Odysseus and Calypso was painted by Gerard de Lairesse in 1680-01-01.

Where can I see Odysseus and Calypso?

Odysseus and Calypso is held by Rijksmuseum.

What movement is Odysseus and Calypso?

Odysseus and Calypso is associated with Flemish Baroque painting.

Can I buy a print of Odysseus and Calypso?

Museum-quality prints of Odysseus and Calypso are available made-to-order from Artifact World Gallery.

Artwork

Odysseus and Calypso

Gerard de Lairesse , 1690

Odysseus and Calypso is an oil painting by the Flemish Baroque painting artist Gerard de Lairesse. It dates from 1690 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.

About this work

Subject & Meaning

The work belongs to the genre of mythological painting, visually interpreting the classical narrative of the Greek hero's captivity on the island of Ogygia.

Gerard de Lairesse's 1680 oil painting illustrates a scene from Homer's Odyssey, focusing on the mythological figures of Odysseus and Calypso. The work belongs to the genre of mythological painting, visually interpreting the classical narrative of the Greek hero's captivity on the island of Ogygia. By depicting these specific characters, the artwork represents the literary episode where the nymph Calypso detains Odysseus, exploring themes of divine intervention, longing, and the struggle between mortal duty and immortal temptation inherent in the epic source material.

Technique & Style

Odysseus and Calypso is an oil painting executed on canvas, a combination of medium and support typical of late seventeenth-century Dutch history painting. The work measures 125 cm in height by 94 cm in width, giving it a vertical, portrait-oriented format suited to the two-figure mythological composition. As a mythological painting based on the Odyssey, it belongs to the genre of history painting, in which Gerard de Lairesse was a leading practitioner. The canvas is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.

The sources do not provide further specific detail on the artist's handling, paint application, condition, or stylistic qualities beyond the medium, support, dimensions, and genre classification.

History & Provenance

Odysseus and Calypso was created by Gerard de Lairesse in 1680, as an oil painting on canvas depicting a mythological scene based on the Odyssey. The work is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, also identified as the National Art Gallery of the Netherlands, where it remains located. No details regarding an original commission, intermediate ownership, or acquisition history are documented in the available sources.

The painting measures 125 cm in height and 94 cm in width. Beyond its inception date, medium, and current institutional home, the available records do not provide information on prior owners, provenance transfers, or the circumstances of its creation.

The painting Odysseus and Calypso by Gerard de Lairesse is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum, also known as the National Art Gallery of the Netherlands, located in Amsterdam. Created in 1680, the work is executed in oil on canvas and depicts a scene from the Odyssey featuring the mythological figure Odysseus. The provided sources confirm its current institutional home but do not list a specific inventory or accession number, nor do they detail any past or future exhibition history for the piece.

Overview

Gerard de Lairesse’s oil painting Odysseus and Calypso, executed in 1690, belongs to the Dutch Golden Age. The work is part of the Rijksmuseum’s collection and illustrates a moment from classical mythology, rendered in a style that merges Flemish Baroque vigor with French classicist restraint.

Context

The scene draws on Homeric episodes in which Odysseus is detained by Calypso on her island. By the late 17th century, such mythological subjects were popular among learned patrons who valued allegorical content and the moral lessons embedded in classical tales.