About ‘Sacrifice of Iphigenia, Jan Steen’
Sacrifice of Iphigenia, Jan Steen (1671)
Jan Steen’s late biblical and mythological paintings often surprise and bewilder the viewer, and none more so than this monumental work of 1671. Here the young, beautiful Iphigenia has been brought to an altar to be sacrificed to appease an angry goddess, yet the scene has little of the gravity one would expect from such a serious subject. Surrounding the demure heroine, dressed in virginal white, are an array of theatrical types that seem to overplay their parts: the blood-thirsty executioner, the old crone yelling at the crying child, the despairing father, a conniving priest, supercilious soldiers, and a crowd of curious onlookers awaiting the denouement of the action.
Colors
Discover our ArtFrame
The modern canvas alternative
Your chosen art on a textile print, stretched in an aluminum or wooden frame. Quick and easy to change for a fresh look and exactly as you want it.
- High-quality print
- Easily replaceable
- Acoustic function
- Large formats possible