DISCOVERART

Bartolomeo Pinelli

Telemachus Plays and Sings to the Shepherds in Egypt, from The Adventures of Telemachus, Book 2

1808
Pen and black ink, with brush and brown and gray wash, over traces of black chalk on ivory laid paper, laid down on board
46 × 58.8 cm (18.1 × 23.1 in)

SEE IT IN PERSON

Not currently on view

In the collection of Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago · as of July 2026

View at artic.edu ↗Plan a visit ↗

Discussion

FROM THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO’S CATALOG

These twelve drawings depict scenes from the French novel The Adventures of Telemachus (Les aventures de Télémaque) by François Fénelon. First published in 1699, it was one of the most popular books of the 1700s and 1800s. Telemachus is the son of Ulysses from Homer’s Odyssey , the first four books of which describe the hero’s search for his father. Fénelon invented further adventures for Telemachus, in which he undergoes many trials while accompanied by his tutor, Mentor, who is actually the goddess Minerva (the embodiment of wisdom) in human disguise. A scathing critique of autocratic government and a diatribe against war, the book denounces luxury and decadence and calls for the simplicity and equality Fénelon believed ancient Greece best exemplified. Pinelli illustrated scenes from books 1–8 and one scene from book 18, and probably planned to illustrate more from the 24 books of the text. Throughout, he celebrates the heroic nude, displaying a deep knowledge of ancient Roman sculpture. His style, influenced by Jacques-Louis David and John Flaxman, is characterized by bold, almost cartoonish contours, monochromatic washes, and frieze-like arrangements of figures. With a magical

Source ↗

Be the first to share your thoughts.

Sign in to join the discussion.

Community guidelines

More by Bartolomeo Pinelli

Italian Peasants RestingItalian Peasants RestingInterior of a Roman Inn, 1817.Interior of a Roman Inn, 1817.Woman in Native Costume with Boy on RoadWoman in Native Costume with Boy on RoadJonge vrouw met kind staande voor een monnikJonge vrouw met kind staande voor een monnikFluitspeler en doedelzakspeler voor een huisFluitspeler en doedelzakspeler voor een huisPlate 14: The Tragic Death of Tarquin the Elder; from volume I of Rollin's 'Istoria Romana'Plate 14: The Tragic Death of Tarquin the Elder; from volumeThe Stagecoach HoldupThe Stagecoach HoldupDeath of a Roman MatronDeath of a Roman Matron

More like this

Ulysses and NausicaaGiovanni Battista Cipriani — Ulysses and NausicaaThe Mourning of the Dead AbelJoseph Anton Rhomberg — The Mourning of the Dead AbelRustick DancersJohn Hamilton Mortimer|Robert Blyth — Rustick DancersThree Putti Dancing to a PiperCharles Reuben Ryley|John Hamilton Mortimer — Three Putti DaTwo Figures in a LandscapeLouis Hersent — Two Figures in a LandscapeFeast of CeresLodovico Lipparini — Feast of CeresFishermenRobert Blyth — FishermenApollo and the MusesJuan Cristobal — Apollo and the MusesMeeting of Moses and Jethro, plate 1 from Thrones of Justice (Thronus Iustitiae)Willem van Swanenburgh — Meeting of Moses and Jethro, plate Diogenes in His Tub with Alexande and His GeneralsCarl Russ — Diogenes in His Tub with Alexande and His GeneraThe Arrival of Jean-Jacques Rousseau to the Champs-ÉlyséesJean Michel Moreau — The Arrival of Jean-Jacques Rousseau toThe Woman and Tambourine, plate 3 from Liber StudiorumJoseph Mallord William Turner — The Woman and Tambourine, pl