Telemachus and the Nymphs of Calypso

Telemachus and the Nymphs of Calypso is a 1782 oil painting by the Swiss artist Angelica Kauffman. It is in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Early history and creation
This painting and The Sorrow of Telemachus were painted for Monsignor Onorato Caetani (1742-1797). They show scenes from the French novel The Adventures of Telemachus published by François Fénelon in 1699, and based on the story of Telemachus, son of Odysseus.

Description and interpretation
The work depicts the arrival of Telemachus on  Ogygia, Calypso's island. He is welcomed by her nymphs with fruit, wine and flowers. The goddess Athena had been his guide, disguised as the old man Mentor, and is shown being led away to the left by the nymphs.