The Sacrifice of Polyxena
Giovanni David Italian
Not on view
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.
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