3-002-480 - Heritage Art/Heritage Images

The Sacrifice of Polyxena at the Tomb of Achilles, c1735. The tragic moment depicted is from the end of the Trojan War. According to legend, the ghost of the Greek hero Achilles demanded that the Trojan princess Polyxena be sacrificed at his tomb. Achilles's son, with the feathered helmet, is leading the sacrifice. According to the Roman poet Ovid, Polyxena "kept her look of dauntless courage until the end." In visualizing this passage, the painter has depicted the young woman with a sorrowful yet dignified expression that conveys her bravery in the face of death.