Joseph Stallaert, Polyxena on Achilles' ’s pyre

by Atelier Liesjes

A young woman in a long, cream-coloured robe lies reclining on a tomb covered with carpets. Her head is tilted back, her eyes are closed, her arms are spread wide over the edge; a thin string of beads rests on her neck. The robe cascades down her body in heavy folds, touching the runner woven with gold thread that hangs over the steps. In the bottom left is a bronze basin with laurel branches; in the bottom right, a sunflower blooms beside her foot. Behind her looms a dark rock face, with a glow of fire and smoke on the left, casting an orange hue into the clouds. The carpet beneath her is trimmed with floral motifs and a gold border. The brushwork is broader and looser than was customary in Neoclassicism: the folds of the robe are rendered with long, bold strokes, whilst the wisps of smoke are depicted with thin, transparent layers. This lends the scene something of a dreamlike quality, despite its academic composition. Polyxena, daughter of King Priam of Troy, was sacrificed at Achilles’ tomb following the fall of the city; her body is displayed here as an offering. The contrast between the bright white of the robe and the smoky, earthy surroundings makes her body the sole point of light in the painting. The theme of a beautiful, defenceless death is typical of nineteenth-century history painting, in which sentiment and antiquity converged. Here, too, the composition is carefully constructed, featuring a rich array of classical references.
Jozef Stallaert (Merchtem 1825 – Ixelles 1903) was a Belgian history painter, affiliated with the Brussels Academy, who drew his subjects primarily from Greek mythology and Belgian history. He painted with a smooth, refined technique and a warm, subdued palette. A dramatic, monumental work for a classical interior.