Hermes Ordering Calypso To Release Odysseus c. 1670

Editor: This is Gerard de Lairesse's "Hermes Ordering Calypso to Release Odysseus," made around 1670 with oil paint. It's bursting with figures and textures, and evokes a dreamlike feeling. What story is this painting telling? Curator: A more important question is: how did art such as this help to construct ideas of nationhood and governance in 17th-century Europe? Consider the cultural context. Lairesse was painting during the Dutch Golden Age. Paintings like this, steeped in classical mythology, were commissioned and displayed in grand homes. The elite used art to associate themselves with the grandeur of past empires, which in turn bolstered their claims to authority. Editor: So it was about creating an image? I mean, it feels like propaganda almost? Curator: Indeed! The image of wise and powerful leaders connects to the perceived "natural order" of things. Note also the abundant nude figures, seemingly cavorting at will. Think of what social status the freedom to depict the nude represented at that time. What message was this imagery conveying about wealth and access? Editor: It’s all connected; the mythology, the style, the patrons… I guess it gives the painting a very different weight, more than just the artist's technical skill. Curator: Precisely! Art like this wasn’t simply made in a vacuum; it served as a visible instrument of social power and legitimized societal norms. Think about what institutions displayed art such as this, who paid for it, and what power dynamics influenced it. Editor: Right. Looking at it again, knowing the socio-political purpose gives the piece an edge it didn’t have at first glance. I’ll definitely approach paintings with a new set of questions from now on. Curator: Exactly, analyzing these underlying systems really helps illuminate the narratives and purpose woven into artwork!