Hermes Orders Calypso to Release Odysseus 1670
gerardvalck
pencil sketch
old engraving style
junji ito style
cartoon sketch
personal sketchbook
wedding around the world
ink drawing experimentation
pen-ink sketch
storyboard and sketchbook work
cartoon carciture
This 1670 etching by Gerard Valck, titled "Hermes Orders Calypso to Release Odysseus," depicts a scene from Homer's Odyssey. Hermes, the messenger of the gods, is seen flying down from the heavens, his winged sandals and caduceus visible, while Odysseus, dressed in a toga, reclines with Calypso, the nymph who held him captive. This print, housed at the Rijksmuseum, captures the dramatic moment when Hermes, sent by Zeus, compels Calypso to release Odysseus, allowing him to return home. The use of etching allows Valck to create a sense of depth and detail, rendering the characters and the surrounding landscape with remarkable precision.
Comments
De Lairesse was well versed in the classics. Here he portrayed a story in Homer’s Odyssey, the epic poem about Odysseus’ wanderings after the fall of Troy. During his journey the Greek hero lands on Ogygia, the island ruled by the goddess Calypso. She falls in love with him, and detains him for seven years. Ultimately the Olympian gods prevail upon her, through their messenger Hermes, to release Odysseus.
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