The Farewell of Telemachus and Eucharis is a painting about a boy who went looking for his dad but fell hard for a girl instead.

This is a tale of young love which ensnared the elderly Jacques-Louis David. David captures the tenderness of the two lovers, but also the realization that this beautiful thing won’t last, can’t last, because Telemachus’ has got to go and save his papa, Odysseus.

It’s a struggle for the young prince. The painting takes place in a cave on Calypso Island, where Telemachus falls for the nymph Eucharis. The two lovers are hiding out in a cave, taking refuge from Calypso’s jealousy. This is one tricky woman, because Calypso also took Odysseus as prisoner on her island. The pressure’s on Telemachus, who probably just needed a break from his task. Thankfully, Telemachus resumes the journey of finding Odysseus, but only after he’s pushed off a cliff and into the ocean so he can get over the renowned beauty that was Eucharis. Honestly, they’re just a couple of kids in love, can’t somebody give them a break?

This painting was commissioned by Count Franz-Erwin von Schoenborn, who had the oo-la-la title of Vice President of the States-General of Bavaria. Von Schoenborn offered David 5,000 francs for the piece. David may have chosen the subject matter from the 1699 novel "The Adventures of Telemachus" by Fenelon, which was an interpretation of Homer’s "Odyssey." Eucharis does not appear in "Odyssey," so it’s believed Fenelon’s version was the main inspiration. 

David was, at the time, in voluntary exile from France, and chose Brussels as his second home. Things were working out for him in Brussels. The Farewell of Telemachus and Eucharis was beloved by the people of Brussels and Ghent and the previous year David exhibited Cupid and Psyche in his adopted city and was in great spirits. The Farewell of Telemachus and Eucharis acted as a pendant to that painting, meaning the artist considered them a pair.

The Farewell of Telemachus and Eucharis was exhibited in Brussels for the benefit of the poor. David and his patron Schoenborn both seemed to have a big heart when it came to charity. There are even letters that show David permitted the government, upon their request, to extend the exhibition of the artwork. Their hope was to generate more profit with this extension to benefit the poor. By the end of the painting’s run, the revenue made from tickets was almost that of the sum originally paid for it.