The Cleveland Museum of Art
Collection Online as of April 19, 2024
Achilles Dragging the Body of Hector
1648
(Italian, 1612–1650)
Catalogue raisonné: Bellini 37
Location: not on view
Description
The strong diagonals and heroic male bodies in this print relay an episode from the Trojan War in which the Greek warrior Achilles takes vengeance on the Trojan prince Hector for murdering his friend Patroclus. Here, Achilles is depicted dragging Hector’s dead body behind a chariot outside the gates of Troy. Primarily a draftsman and printmaker, Pietro Testa was known for the remarkable effects of space, texture, and light he was able to achieve by immersing the copper plate in an acid bath in several stages. This method allowed for deeper etched lines, in such areas as the dark shadows that frame the two central figures, while retaining sketchier details in the background.- 1981-The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
- A Lasting Impression: Gifts of the Print Club of Cleveland. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (May 5-September 22, 2019).Drawn to the Body: The Human Figure and the Graphic Arts, 1500-1900. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (March 14-May 23, 1999).Cleveland, Ohio: The Cleveland Museum of Art; March 14 - May 23, 1999. "Drawn to the Body: The Human Figure and the Graphic Arts, 1500 - 1900."The Year in Review for 1981. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (February 17-March 21, 1982).
- {{cite web|title=Achilles Dragging the Body of Hector|url=false|author=Pietro Testa|year=1648|access-date=19 April 2024|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}
Source URL:
https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1981.95