This colorful wallcovering artwork, designed by Xavier Mader and manufactured by Joseph Dufour et Cie (c. 1752–1827), depicts the Greek mythological figures of Calypso (a sea deity) and Telemachus (the son of famed Odysseus). Although the artwork features Homeric characters, this particular scene does not appear in Homer’s Iliad or Odyssey. Instead, the art re-creates an episode from a book called The Adventures of Telemachus, published in 1699 by Archbishop François Fénelon of Cambrai. In that novel, François Fénelon expanded on and added to the escapades and experiences that Telemachus underwent while he waited for his father to return home from the Trojan War, including the encounter with Calypso seen above.
In the 17th-century book, Telemachus and his companion Mentor (who was Athena in disguise) were shipwrecked on the island of Calypso. The sea goddess, accompanied by a host of other nymphs in the novel, welcomed the stranded travelers to their island paradise and regaled Telemachus with stories about the gods and Odysseus. Athena, wielding her divine influence, was able to compel Calypso to have a new ship built for Telemachus, so that he could continue his search for his long-absent father. When the new ship was complete, it took no small amount of effort from Athena to pull hesitant Telemachus away from the island paradise and its alluring residents.
Written by C. Keith Hansley
Sources:
- The Adventures of Telemachus by François Fénelon (published 1699), translated into English by Des Maizeaux (1781).
- https://www.si.edu/object/telemachus-island-calypso:chndm_1996-108-1
