Telemachus and Eucharis, 1824
Raymond Auguste Quinsac Monvoisinexpand_more
Oil on canvasexpand_more
Gift of Andrew A. Lynnexpand_more 78.25
On View in Gallery 310expand_more
Shipwrecked on a Greek isle, Telemachus (center), son of Odysseus, and Eucharis (left), a nymph on the island, fell in love. Monvoisin's painting depicts the young lovers bidding farewell. Athena intervened to make this happen, disguising herself as Telemachus's guardian Mentor (right) and forcing the young man to abandon his beloved to search for his lost father. The scene comes from François Fénelon's 1699 novel "Les Aventures de Télémaque" (The Adventures of Telemachus), inspired by characters in Homer's epic poem the "Odyssey."
Commissioned by the future king of France, Louis-Philippe (reign 1830–48), the painting was executed by Monvoisin in Rome (note the city is inscribed next to the artist’s signature). Monvoisin spent five years in Italy (1820–25) after being awarded second place in the French Academy's prestigious Prix de Rome. The painting was exhibited at the 1827 Paris Salon, where Louis Philippe, then the duc d'Orléans, was listed as the lender.
Details
- Title
- Telemachus and Eucharis
- Artist Life
- 1794 - 1870
- Role
- Artist
- Accession Number
- 78.25
- Curator Approved
This record is from historic documentation and may not have been reviewed by a curator, so may be inaccurate or incomplete. Our records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@artsmia.org.
Does something look wrong with this image? Let us know
Zoom in on the left to the detail you'd like to save. Click 'Save detail' and wait until the image updates. Right click the image to 'save image as' or copy link, or click the image to open in a new tab.