Odysseus and Calypso 1943

Max Beckmann's 1943 painting "Odysseus and Calypso" depicts the Greek hero Odysseus being held captive by the nymph Calypso. The work's expressive style and exaggerated figures are characteristic of Beckmann's post-Expressionist period. The dramatic lighting and intense colors evoke a sense of both desire and confinement. The presence of a serpent and a cat in the background suggests the hidden dangers and temptations of the hero's journey, while the overall composition emphasizes the emotional tension between Odysseus and Calypso. This painting, a powerful interpretation of a classic Greek myth, is now part of the Kunsthalle Hamburg's permanent collection.