An artwork on Galleree from Minneapolis Institute of Art.
About the artwork
Calypso1869
Artist: Henri Lehmann
French, 1814 - 1882
Mythology, The Odyssey, Calypso mourning over Odysseus on isle of Ogygia
47 1/2 x 60 1/4 in. (120.7 x 153.0 cm)
Oil on canvas
Painting
France
19th century
Gift of Bruce B. Dayton
On a tranquil stretch of golden sand, the island of Ogygia basked under the soft embrace of the sun. Here, the waves lapped at the shores in a gentle rhythm, serenading the tale of Calypso, a beautiful nymph with hair the color of evening skies and eyes that mirrored the depths of the ocean. This was no ordinary island; it was her haven and her prison, where time flowed differently, and the air crackled with magic.
Amidst the lush greenery and fragrant blossoms, a shipwrecked hero washed ashore one fateful day. Ulysses, known to many as Odysseus, stumbled onto the sand, weary and longing for home. Calypso, spotting him like a moth drawn to light, felt her heart stir with compassion. She enveloped him in a world of comfort, showering him with luxuries and love that danced like sunlight on the water's surface. For seven long years, she wove a spell of intimacy, draping Ulysses in the silk of immortality, hoping to anchor him to her side.
But even the strongest threads of desire could not hold down the hearts of men forever. As the winds of fate blew, the gods took notice of their intertwined lives and sent for Ulysses. The call was undeniable; it stirred something deep within him—an echo of distant shores, of a kingdom waiting to be reclaimed.
And so, the day came when Ulysses prepared to embark on his journey home, the very shore where he once cast longing glances toward the horizon now holding both trepidation and hope. Calypso, her heart heavy, mourned his departure, her spirit reflected in the same waves she had once conjured to enrapture him. With tears that danced in the salty breeze, she lingered, a beautiful specter upon the sands, voicing her sorrow to the indifferent sea.
Her lament echoed through eternity, immortalized in art—a painting that remains in its original frame, a testament to their tale. Below the canvas, a Latin inscription, drawn from the words of a Roman poet, reveals the essence of this turbulent love. It reads:
"When Ulysses sailed,/ By the lone wave Calypso wailed./ Day after day unkempt sat she / And communed with the cruel sea."
In that moment, we are reminded of the bittersweet dance of love and loss, where even the most enchanting nymph finds herself adrift when the tides of fate call her beloved away.
About the artist
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