The Sacrifice of Polyxena

Charles Le Brun stands as a colossus of 17th-century French art. As the director of the French Academy and the Gobelins manufactory, he personally created or supervised the production of most of the major paintings, sculptures, and decorative objects commissioned by the French government. His dynamic compositions, dramatic emotion, and profound respect for classical antiquity made his style the official “Baroque” aesthetic of the French court. ‘The Sacrifice of Polyxena,’ painted in 1647, is a brilliant early example of Le Brun’s mastery. It was painted after Le Brun’s return to Paris following the completion of his studies in Rome and just a year before the founding of the French Royal Academy. The painting shows Polyxena, a Trojan princess, being sacrificed in order to appease the ghost of Achilles, the war hero who had lost his life fighting the Trojans. It is an ideal illustration of conveying emotion through facial expressions and dramatic gestures. Polyxena’s face is one of disappointment and disgust rather than terror. The painting depicts Polyxena facing her death with bravery and dignity. Le Brun created a work that is still regarded as a masterpiece of Baroque painting as well as a profound reflection of sacrifice, loss, and dignity by skillfully fusing intense emotion with moving storytelling to convey this sad myth.