Study for a plate from Telemachus c. 1797

This work, "Study for a plate from Telemachus," is a series of three small sketches by Thomas Stothard, a prominent British artist of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Each sketch depicts a scene from Homer's epic poem *The Odyssey*. The three scenes include a figure, possibly a man, reclining in the woods, two swans resting on a branch and a figure, likely female, gazing up into the canopy of trees. These sketches, created circa 1797, are preparatory studies for engravings for an illustrated edition of *Telemachus*, a French novel attributed to Fenelon. Stothard's works are known for their detailed figures and engaging narratives, as well as their ability to capture both the beauty and the drama of classical literature.