Telemachus stort in zee 1683 - 1733

Bernard Picart created this sketch, "Telemachus stort in zee", whose title translates to "Telemachus falls into the sea," sometime between 1683 and 1733. Picart was working during the Enlightenment, a period that privileged reason. Yet, he turned to classical literature for his subject. Here, Telemachus plunges headlong into the sea. A ship looms nearby, its mast reaching toward the upper edge of the paper. Another head is sketched below the ship. We can only imagine the chaos, the sense of powerlessness, and the sheer terror Telemachus must have felt. This sketch captures a moment of extreme vulnerability, contrasting the Enlightenment's emphasis on control and order. It reminds us that even in an age of reason, the unpredictable and overwhelming forces of nature—and human emotion—remain. It asks us to reflect on the moments when we, too, feel lost at sea.