Artwork
Hermes befaler Kalypso at frigive Odysseus
Hermes befaler Kalypso at frigive Odysseus is an oil painting by the Rococo painting artist Johan Edvard Mandelberg. It dates from 1765 and is held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst.
About this work
Overview
Johan Edvard Mandelberg, a Swedish‑born artist who worked in Denmark, painted *Hermes befaler Kalypso at frigive Odysseus* in 1765. Executed in oil on canvas, the work is part of the collection of Denmark’s Statens Museum for Kunst. It presents a mythological episode from Homer’s *Odyssey* in a composition typical of the late Rococo period.
Subject & Meaning
The scene captures the moment when Hermes, the messenger of the gods, orders the nymph Calypso to release the captive Odysseus. Calypso is shown seated on an elevated platform, her white garment contrasting with the surrounding figures who kneel or stand in deference, emphasizing the divine command and the tension between captivity and impending freedom.
Technique & Style
Mandelberg employs a Rococo palette of soft pastels and delicate brushwork, while the chiaroscuro treatment creates a dramatic contrast between the illuminated figures and the shadowy background. A winged Hermes hovers near the top, his presence highlighted by a subtle light that draws the eye toward the narrative focal point.
History & Provenance
Completed in the mid‑18th century, the painting entered the holdings of the Statens Museum for Kunst, Denmark’s national gallery, where it remains on display. Its acquisition reflects the museum’s interest in documenting the cross‑national artistic exchanges between Sweden and Denmark during the Rococo era.
Context
Mandelberg’s choice of a Homeric episode aligns with the Enlightenment’s renewed interest in classical literature and moral exempla. The work also illustrates the period’s fascination with mythological subjects rendered in a decorative yet narrative‑driven manner, a hallmark of the late Rococo aesthetic in Northern Europe.
Artist & collection
Artist
Johan Edvard Mandelberg (22 January 1730 – 8 January 1786), Swedish-born painter living in Denmark, was born at sea during a voyage between Stockholm and Livland, Sweden.
