The Sacrifice of Polyxena

Giovanni David

1776 · Etching and aquatint · Drawings and Prints

According to Greek legend, the warrior Achilles fell in love with Polyxena, daughter of King Priam of Troy. She was promised to him in marriage if he agreed to end the war between the Greeks and the Trojans. Achilles was ambushed by Polyxena’s brothers, however, who shot a poisoned arrow in his heel—hence the expression “Achilles heel,” a point of vulnerability. Before he died, Achilles ordered that the treacherous Polyxena (shown in the lower right) be sacrificed at his tomb. The artist made this print in Genoa, where he was patronized by the wealthy Durazzo family. It comes from a series of six depicting scenes from history and literature and dedicated to Countess Durazzo.

Artist

Giovanni David

Date

1776

Medium

Etching and aquatint

Department

Drawings and Prints

Credit line

Purchase, Anonymous Gift, 1998