Artwork
King Priam Pleading with Achilles for the Corpse of Hector
King Priam Pleading with Achilles for the Corpse of Hector is a photography by Unknown. It dates from 1796 and is held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst.
About this work
Overview
Created around 1796, this carved relief portrays a pivotal episode from the Iliad in which King Priam implores Achilles for the return of his son Hector’s body. Executed in low relief, the work is part of the collection of the Museum of Ethnography and is attributed to the artist recorded as 241_person.
Subject & Meaning
The composition captures the moment of negotiation between the grieving Trojan king and the Greek hero. Priam kneels before a seated Achilles, who holds his spear loosely, while the king grasps the hero’s leg, emphasizing the pleading nature of the encounter and the tension between honor and compassion.
Technique & Style
Carved in a shallow depth, the relief employs smooth, idealized figures reminiscent of classical Greek sculpture. The arrangement in a compressed spatial plane, with stylized drapery and a three‑handled vase held by a background figure, reinforces a timeless, mythic atmosphere.
History & Provenance
The piece dates to the late eighteenth century, a period when neoclassical interest in antiquity was widespread. It entered the Museum of Ethnography’s holdings at an unspecified date, where it remains on display as part of the institution’s representation of mythological art.
Artist & collection
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Madonna and Child with Saints in the Enclosed Garden
Venus and Minerva
Family Group of Four on Sofa
Wall painting from Room H of the Villa of P. Fannius Synistor at Boscoreale
