Odysseus and Nausicaa

mythological

The fact that Lastman visited Italy and that, while he was there, he was profoundly influenced by Elsheimer, is evident in this painting of the shipwrecked Odysseus found naked by Nausicaa and her entourage. The pictorial structure, the individual gestures and formal pathos are theatrical, and the setting itself is charged with meaning. The artist has taken a highly original approach in placing the figures, with their gestures of surprise and fright and their outstretched arms, against a pale sky - a motif Rembrandt was soon to adopt.

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About the Artist

Pieter Pietersz. Lastman

1583 – 1633

Dutch painter active in Amsterdam and specialized in religious, historical, and mythological scenes. He went to Italy (c. 1604) and was influenced by Caravaggio - which makes him akin to the Utrecht School - and by Elsheimer. His "forte" was small figures in exotic and brightly-coloured costumes. He was back in Amsterdam by 1607. His real importance lies in the fact that Jan Lievens was his pupil in 1617 and Rembrandt in 1624/15.

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