Andromache Mourning Hector, by Jacques Louis David
1783; Oil on Canvas, 9' 10 1/2" x 6' 8" ; Musee de Louvre, Paris
Using one of the most well-known scenes from antiquity, David depicts Hector's wife Andromache mourning the loss of Troy's hero who has been killed by the Greek hero Achilles. The nobility of Hector in his sacrifice of his life for his people, is matched by the nobility of Andromache, the focus of light in the painting, and her sacrifice. The values of patriotism, self-sacrifice, and the subordination of family are typical neoclassic themes.
