Belisarius receiving Hospitality from a Peasant

Image credit: The National Gallery, London

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The painting represents an episode in Belisaire, a novel by Jean-François Marmontel, published in 1767. The novel is based on the legend of Belisarius, the Byzantine general (about 505–565) who according to this account was blinded and impoverished by the Roman emperor Justinian. Peyron depicts the episode when Belisarius is given hospitality at the home of a peasant who recognises the hero fallen on hard times. The two women of the family place their infants on his knee to give him thanks and receive his blessing. The peasant’s son looks away from his wife and child as he contemplates his former general. Peyron uses contrasting light and shade and different spaces to underline the emotional conflict. This picture is the finished sketch for a painting now in the Musée des Augustins in Toulouse.

The National Gallery, London

London

Title

Belisarius receiving Hospitality from a Peasant

Date

1779

Medium

Oil on paper laid down on canvas

Measurements

H 55 x W 84.5 cm

Accession number

NG6551

Acquisition method

Bought, 1995

Work type

Painting

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