The Sacrifice of Iphigenia - Bertholet Flémal
Description
In keeping with the tradition initiated by the Greek painter Timante, Agamemnon, on the left, veils his face to conceal the excess of his pain. While Achilles himself looks away on the right, Calchas, dressed in pink, suddenly kneels before the apparition of Diana, who has come to substitute a deer for the human victim of the sacrifice, already fainting.
In the right background, the kneeling Greek people celebrate the miracle. The Greek boats can be seen above.
2. One of 7 large history paintings (only 4 located, all in the Louvre), painted for the decor (attic register) of the Cabinet de l'Amour or Cabinet doré of the Hôtel Lambert, Paris (hotel built for Jean-Baptiste Lambert de Thorigny but left unfinished at his death in 1644 and passed to his brother Nicolas), a series currently divided between the French school (Perrier, INV. 7160, and an anonymous one, INV. 2901), the Italian school (Romanelli, INV. 579) and the Northern schools (INV. 161).
Painted probably in Paris, circa Probably painted in Paris, circa 1646.
Acquired in 1776 for the Louis XVI collection.
Technical Data
Notice #001100