A late Neoclassical masterpiece created during David’s exile in Brussels following the fall of Napoleon. Inspired by François Fénelon’s 1699 novel Les Aventures de Télémaque (an extension of Homer’s Odyssey), the painting depicts the tender yet melancholic farewell between Odysseus's son Telemachus and the nymph Eucharis on Calypso’s island. Bound by honor to leave and find his father, Telemachus stands torn between romantic passion and heroic duty, rendered by David with sculpted contours, rich colors, and exquisite finish.