Francisco de Goya Y Lucientes
Fuentetodos 1746 - 1828 Bordeaux, circle
Achilles & Hector
Oil on canvas, relined
30 x 47 cm (with frame 50 x 67 cm)

The painting (30x47cm) in oil on canvas depicts an ambiguous theme of Greco-Roman mythology against a dark background. A highlighted male figure on the left half of the picture faces a group of six men on the right. The man on the left wears a helmet with a winged creature, long blond locks of hair flowing out from under it, resting on the shoulders of his naked torso. The robe with leg dress thrown over the left arm reminds of a chlamys (traveler's cloak) with soldier's belt (cingulum). In his right hand he carries a short sword, while his left hand is raised in a gesture that is probably intended to stop the other men from doing what they are doing. In dynamic contrapposto, probably even running, he approaches the group staggered in pyramidal composition. Its center is formed by a static male figure wearing similar military garb and a high helmet with a plume of feathers, which is held by the neck and upper arms of the two flanking men. They wear different headgear such as helmet and hair band. To the left is a man in a soldier's cloak (paludamentum) pressing his left fist against the throat of the arrested man and stabbing a prostrate figure in the head with a short sword with his right hand. The central figure appears to be surrendering or pointing to the prostrate man with his right palm extended in front of him. On the right side, a male figure has also fallen to the ground.This scene could be the encounter between Achilles and Hector, described in Homer's Iliad. After the death of Patroclus, to whom Achilles had lent his armor, at the hands of Hector, the commander of Troy in the Trojan War, he receives from his mother Thetis a new suit of armor forged by Hephaestus. Equipped with these weapons, Achilles goes into battle and tries to reach Hector. He killed numerous Trojans and finally faced Hector. However, the latter lost his daring at the sight of the Greek hero. Achilles chased Hector around the city until he defeated him after a short battle, taking revenge for Patroclus. Accordingly, the left male figure with prominent helmet could be interpreted as Achilles, who was finally able to confront Hector, the central figure within the group. The highly dramatic moment is additionally emphasized by the composition, the staggering of the figures and the expressive color nuances as well as shading and white heightening.
Stylistically, technically and in terms of size, the painting is reminiscent of the "Night Scene of the Inquisition" (ca. 1810), which is attributed to Francisco Goya (1746-1828) https://www.nasjonalmuseet.no/en/collection/object/NG.M.01347. Goya was a very productive painter who depicted a wide variety of subjects in a wide variety of styles, including the ancient world of myths. His so-called "Pinturas negras" (black paintings) were created in the 1820s, with cruel drama, haunting intensity and an impressionistic style of painting. Compositional similarities can also be found in his engravings: https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/381408. Especially the light-dark contrasts as well as the bright color nuances and pastos applied white heightenings lead to the assumption that this picture comes from the time of the painter and is influenced by his style.