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The Sacrifice of Iphigenia

Image credit: Ferens Art Gallery

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Several versions of this ambitious composition are recorded in the early sources, although the status of this one awaits classification. The painting has all the characteristics of the late French Baroque and owes a debt to the influence of Rubens in its exuberance. The colouring, however, is reminiscent of Poussin. This reflects the rivalry between the followers of Rubens and Poussin in the French Academy in the later 17th century.

The Sacrifice of Iphigenia was a popular subject in the 17th century. Iphigenia was a daughter of Agamemnon, who was obliged to sacrifice her to the gods, either because he had vowed to sacrifice the fairest thing born that year, or because he had given offence to Artemis, a jealous goddess (Wright, 2002, p. 36).

Ferens Art Gallery

Kingston upon Hull

Title

The Sacrifice of Iphigenia

Date

c.1675–c.1699

Medium

oil on canvas

Measurements

H 180.3 x W 129.3 cm

Accession number

KINCM:2005.5087

Acquisition method

bequeathed by Miss A. Atkinson Best of Shiptonthorpe, 1946

Work type

Painting

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Ferens Art Gallery

Queen Victoria Square, Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire HU1 3RA England

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