ticketsMember | Make a donation

Andromache and Astyanax

ca. 1798
Not on view
Didot initially commissioned Prud'hon to design the frontispiece to The Works of Racine (1801–5) and five illustrations to the play Andromache. This design for Act 2 depicts the heroine embracing her son Astyanax and exclaiming that she still sees her dead husband in his features ("It is you, dear husband, whom I embrace"). This illustration was never published by Didot since the commission for Andromache was ultimately given to Girodet. However, Prud'hon used this drawing as the basis for the painting Andromache and Astyanax, which is in the Metropolitan's collection (25.110.14).

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Andromache and Astyanax
  • Artist: Pierre Paul Prud'hon (French, Cluny 1758–1823 Paris)
  • Date: ca. 1798
  • Medium: Pen and gray ink with brush and brown wash over traces of black chalk
  • Dimensions: 11 3/4 x 8 5/8 in. (29.8 x 21.9 cm)
  • Classification: Drawings
  • Credit Line: Harry G. Sperling Fund, 1999
  • Object Number: 1999.348
  • Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints

More Artwork

More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Maria Louisa Archduchess of Austria, Empress of France
Multiple artists/makers
1811
The Zephyr
Pierre Paul Prud'hon
Nicolas Lejeune
1819
Portrait of Laurent-François, marquis de Gouvion Saint-Cyr, at the age of 6 years
Pierre Paul Prud'hon
1822
Head of a Young Boy, Pierre Paul Prud'hon French, Stipple engraving
Head of a Young Boy
Pierre Paul Prud'hon
n.d.
Ceres, after Prud'hon
Multiple artists/makers
1826–27

Related Content

Timeline of Art History

Entries from The Met's art encyclopedia.

Publications

Books, guides, and catalogues published by The Met.

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.