DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.61617#0372
312
POMPEII
foreground at the right, Patroclus leads forward the weeping
Briseis. In the middle Achilles, seated, looks toward Patroclus
with an expression of anger, and with an impatient gesture of
the right hand directs him to deliver up the beautiful captive
to the messenger of Agamemnon, who stands at the left wait-
ing to receive her. Behind Achilles is Phoenix, his faithful
companion, who tries to soften his anger with comforting words.
Further back the helmeted heads of warriors are seen, and at
the rear the tent of Achilles.
The scene is well conceived. Yet in both this picture and
the one previously described, the composition seems to lack
depth and perspective. The artist is remarkably skilful in
portraying facial expression, and foreground details; his limita-
tions are apparent in the handling of groups. We have the
feeling that the first designs were not made freely with brush or
pencil, but that the artist was here translating into painting
designs which he found already worked out in reliefs. The
original paintings, of which these are copies, very likely go
back to the fourth century b.c.
Another painting worthy of more than passing mention was
found on a wall of the peristyle (at <?), and removed to the
Naples Museum. The subject is the sacrifice of Iphigenia,
who was to be offered up to Artemis that a favorable departure
from Aulis might be granted to the Greek fleet assembled for
the expedition against Troy (Fig. 149).
At the right stands Calchas, deeply troubled, his sheath in
his left hand, his unsheathed sword in his right, his finger upon
his lips. The hapless maid with arms outstretched in supplica-
tion is held by two men, one of whom is perhaps Ulysses. At
the left is Agamemnon, with face averted and veiled head, over-
come with grief. Beside him leans his sceptre, and on a pillar
near by we see an archaic statue of Artemis with a torch in
each hand, a dog on either side. Just as the girl is to be slain,
Artemis appears in the sky at the right, and from the clouds
opposite a nymph emerges bringing a deer, which the goddess
accepts as a substitute.
In this painting, also, though the style is entirely different
from that of the others, we perceive the limitations of the artist
POMPEII
foreground at the right, Patroclus leads forward the weeping
Briseis. In the middle Achilles, seated, looks toward Patroclus
with an expression of anger, and with an impatient gesture of
the right hand directs him to deliver up the beautiful captive
to the messenger of Agamemnon, who stands at the left wait-
ing to receive her. Behind Achilles is Phoenix, his faithful
companion, who tries to soften his anger with comforting words.
Further back the helmeted heads of warriors are seen, and at
the rear the tent of Achilles.
The scene is well conceived. Yet in both this picture and
the one previously described, the composition seems to lack
depth and perspective. The artist is remarkably skilful in
portraying facial expression, and foreground details; his limita-
tions are apparent in the handling of groups. We have the
feeling that the first designs were not made freely with brush or
pencil, but that the artist was here translating into painting
designs which he found already worked out in reliefs. The
original paintings, of which these are copies, very likely go
back to the fourth century b.c.
Another painting worthy of more than passing mention was
found on a wall of the peristyle (at <?), and removed to the
Naples Museum. The subject is the sacrifice of Iphigenia,
who was to be offered up to Artemis that a favorable departure
from Aulis might be granted to the Greek fleet assembled for
the expedition against Troy (Fig. 149).
At the right stands Calchas, deeply troubled, his sheath in
his left hand, his unsheathed sword in his right, his finger upon
his lips. The hapless maid with arms outstretched in supplica-
tion is held by two men, one of whom is perhaps Ulysses. At
the left is Agamemnon, with face averted and veiled head, over-
come with grief. Beside him leans his sceptre, and on a pillar
near by we see an archaic statue of Artemis with a torch in
each hand, a dog on either side. Just as the girl is to be slain,
Artemis appears in the sky at the right, and from the clouds
opposite a nymph emerges bringing a deer, which the goddess
accepts as a substitute.
In this painting, also, though the style is entirely different
from that of the others, we perceive the limitations of the artist