Xerxes at the Hellespont (Allegory on Sea Power) - Max Slevogt

A powerful 1916 lithograph by Max Slevogt depicting the classical legend of Xerxes punishing the sea, created as a political allegory during the First World War.

This lithograph by Max Slevogt, titled Xerxes at the Hellespont, appeared in the periodical Bildermann on 5 October 1916. It forms part of a series titled Symbole der Zeit, which utilised historical narratives to comment upon the contemporary climate of the First World War. Slevogt depicts the Persian King Xerxes I, who, according to Herodotus, ordered his soldiers to whip the Hellespont and cast chains into the water after a storm destroyed his pontoon bridge. The composition is divided between the elevated, detached figure of the king on a cliffside throne and the chaotic, muscular figures below who struggle against the turbulent sea. Slevogt employs a loose, gestural line quality that conveys the agitation of the waves and the futility of the king's command. The figures in the water are rendered with heavy, expressive strokes, contrasting with the more static, distant silhouette of the monarch. By choosing this specific classical anecdote, Slevogt draws a parallel between the hubris of ancient rulers and the political tensions of his own era. The work reflects the artist's transition from his earlier impressionist painting style toward a more graphic, illustrative approach during the war years. The inclusion of the original German text from Herodotus at the bottom of the print provides the necessary context for the allegory, framing the image as both a historical study and a piece of political commentary. The print demonstrates Slevogt's ability to capture movement and psychological tension through minimal tonal variation, relying instead on the energy of his mark-making to define the scene.