Telemachus, urged by mentor, leaves calypso's island, freeing himself from the arms of the nymph eucharis who seeks to hold him close to her, a painting presented by the artist at the salon of 1800 (number 266 of the booklet) with the following precision: "at the same moment, calypso arrives from hunting, accompanied by several of her nymphs. She witnesses the regrets of the two lovers; a terrible jealousy and concentration is painted on his face. "
the subject is taken from fénelon's novel published in 1699, the adventures of télémaque, reprinted throughout the 18th century (76 editions appeared between 1800 and 1815). The lyrical tragedy of deray and lesueur of 1796, with a duet between the two lovers, had further added popularity to this theme. If the young hero is indeed one of the main characters of homer's odyssey, the model son of penelope and ulysses, protecting his mother, then his father from suitors, the nymph euscharis, servant of calypso, is unknown in greek mythology. It is invented by fénélon who describes a fleeting, thwarted and chaste passion between them, provoking the jealousy of his mistress calypso, also in love with telemachus. His tutor, mentor (in fact minerva disguised as an old wise man), separates them. Object Type: painting. Genre: mythological painting. Date: between 1799 and 1800. Place of creation: France. Dimensions: height: 154 cm (60.6 in) ; width: 203 cm (79.9 in). Medium: oil on canvas. Collection: United Kingdom. Charles Meynier - Télémaque, pressé par Mentor, quitte l'île de Calypso
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