The Anger of Achilles (Painting by Jacques-Louis David at the Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth, TX)

The Anger of Achilles was one of Jacques-Louis David's last paintings, produced during his exile in Brussels following the Bourbon Restoration in France. David, a man of fierce patriotic spirit, spent his last years as an expatriate, exiled from a France that he could no longer recognize. Too proud to request a pardon from King Louis XVIII, he painted fellow exiles and a handful of mythological scenes. David depicts one of these mythological scenes in The Anger of Achilles.
The scene is from Euripides' play, Iphigenia at Aulis, which takes place before the Trojan War. When the Greeks assembled to sail to Troy, the gods would not send wind for the ships, requiring King Agamemnon to sacrifice his daughter as a price for the voyage. Agamemnon summons Iphigenia to Aulis under false pretenses, telling her mother that she will be married to Achilles. Achilles offers to rescue Iphigenia, but she refuses, insisting that she be sacrificed on behalf of her country. Achilles respects her decision, but is torn in the moment that she is led away, as he still desires to save her. In a similar way, David was torn when it came to the fate of his country - a fate that he could do nothing about. When you examine the clothing of the characters, you will see the French Tricolor - a flag no longer in use after the Bourbon Restoration.
This painting is housed at the Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth, Texas. It was truly an honor to see such a meaningful painting by a magnificent artist.

[@johnrodgers2018]

Love this

[@renoo]

I no longer fear the razor guarding my heel.

[@abbeyromero9978]

So I’m doing research and found out that he is my 7th great grandfather.. how amazingly talented he was.

[@joe1rooney1]

Damn that's so cool!

[@KingPascalI]

very interesting

[@MrDiscopunkk]

Achilles was just angry that he got summoned away from Patroclus for something so atrocious.

[@pravcasthistory7888]

Agamemnon Baratheon!

[@mosabreda1157]

Whay are they almost always naked ?!

[@stevied3400]

mosab reda It’s the classical style. Look at classical Roman and Classical Greek art.

[@carlyellison8498]

How is it that you can walk right up to a painting like that? What is to stop someone from touching and soiling it (or worse)? Or do they use reproductions? It doesn't look like there is glass in front of it.

[@beanilla5575]

I've been there twice and yes there's nothing to stop you. Even the museum people talk about how many guests especially European one's find it odd. Im pretty sure they're sensored tho so if you were to touch them it trips a silent alarm. Souther Hospitality I guess XD?

[@irateradioarchive]

This reminds me of that tourist who vandalized a 3,500 year old Ancient Egyptian art and they couldn't wipe it off because it might ruin the entire creation.