Achilles Discovered with the Daughters of Lycomedes, Giovanni Antonio Pellegrini

This painting tells the story of Achilles, a hero from Greek mythology. After his mother learned he was destined to die in the Trojan War, Achilles was sent to an island disguised as a maiden. A dramatic scene unfolds as a disguised Achilles is captivated by the sword he holds while others continue to admire the trinkets laid out before them. His attraction to the sword gave away his secret and Odysseus took him to the battlefront.

Exhibition Label: "Corpus," Apr-2012, Denise Giannino The story of Achilles is one of drama, guile, disguise, and revelation. When Achilles’ mother learned that her son would die in the Trojan War, she disguised him as a maiden and sent him to live with the daughters of King Lycomedes. He lived undetected for many years until he was given a choice of objects and chose a sword, an action that revealed his masculinity. Pellegrini’s luminous color palette, energetic brushstrokes, and billowing drapery contribute to the unfolding drama. The theatricality of such scenes appealed to Pellegrini’s sophisticated, aristocratic patrons and drew on his expertise of designing stage sets for the opera. Archive Label 1999: When the Greek mythological hero Achilles was nine, his mother, the sea nymph Thetis, learned that her son would die in the Trojan War. To keep him safe, she sent Achilles to live on the island of Skyros and disguised him as one of Lycomedes's daughters. Ulysses devised a way to discover Achilles. He and his men visited Skyros disguised as merchants, offering jewels, trinkets, and a sword. Unable to resist seizing the sword, Achilles revealed his identity to Ulysses, and they went together to battle. Pellegrini was one of the finest painters from eighteenth-century Venice. He travelled all over Europe, painting decorations for castles and churches as well as smaller easel paintings. With Marco Ricci (whose Flight into Egypt hangs nearby) he worked in England, where he had a profound impact on the development of eighteenth-century taste. Pellegrini was influenced by Luca Giordano, whose work is represented in the Renaissance Gallery on the third floor. Conservation of this painting was supported by the Samuel H. Kress Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Bay Foundation.