---
title: Odysseus Constructs a Raft to Depart the Island of Ogygia
author: Willem Basse
source: https://www.worldhistory.org/image/21953/odysseus-constructs-a-raft-to-depart-the-island-of/
format: machine-readable-alternate
updated: 2026-07-17
---
# Odysseus Constructs a Raft to Depart the Island of Ogygia
_Authored by Willem Basse_
## Image File
[](https://www.worldhistory.org/uploads/images/21953.jpg)
## Image Caption
*Ulysses on the Island of the Goddess Calypso*, etching and engraving on laid paper by Willem Basse, 1634.
[Odysseus](https://www.worldhistory.org/odysseus/) (Ulysses) hews timber to construct a raft on the shore of Ogygia, the island on which the [nymph](https://www.worldhistory.org/nymph/) Calypso has kept him captive, as famously told in [Homer](https://www.worldhistory.org/homer/)'s ancient [Greek](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/greek/) epic *The [Odyssey](https://www.worldhistory.org/Odyssey/)* (c. 8th century BCE).
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
## Cite This Work
### APA
Basse, W. (2026, July 17). Odysseus Constructs a Raft to Depart the Island of Ogygia. *World History Encyclopedia*.
### Chicago
Basse, Willem. "Odysseus Constructs a Raft to Depart the Island of Ogygia." *World History Encyclopedia*, July 17, 2026. .
### MLA
Basse, Willem. "Odysseus Constructs a Raft to Depart the Island of Ogygia." *World History Encyclopedia*, 17 Jul 2026, .
## License & Copyright
[Original image](https://www.nga.gov/artworks/90931-ulysses-island-goddess-calypso) by **Willem Basse**. Submitted by [Zachary Kay](https://www.worldhistory.org/user/zacharykay/ "User Page: Zachary Kay"), published on 17 July 2026. The copyright holder has published this content under the following license: [Public Domain](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_domain). This item is in the public domain, and can be used, copied, and modified without any restrictions. Please note that content linked from this page may have different licensing terms.