c. 1776
Achilles Discovered by Ulysses among the Daughters of Lycomedes
Giovanni Battista CiprianiItalian (active Florence and England), 1727 - 1785
This painting depicts Achilles being tricked to fight in the Trojan War. In ancient Greek myth, the warrior’s mother hoped to outwit a prophecy that foretold his death in battle by disguising him as a woman and bringing him to live among the daughters of King Lycomedes. When other warriors came to fetch him, they concealed a sword and shield among gifts of fine cloth and jewelry for the women. Achilles immediately grasped the weapons, revealing himself. With its themes of mistaken identity, this legend inspired many comic operas in the 1700s, which may have influenced Giovanni Battista Cipriani.
This painting is one of a series of four depicting Achilles that Cipriani painted for an anteroom of Lansdowne House, a luxurious residence in central London designed by the Neoclassical architect Robert Adam. The drawing room from the house is also in the museum’s collection (see 1931-104-1).
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