The Anger of Achilles, or Sacrifice of Iphigénie

In his later career, David developed a more intense and contrasting palette and a newfound desire for greater realism in his portrayal of figures in his classical history and mythological subjects.

The wrath of the hero Achilles at the proposed sacrifice of the Greek King Agamemnon’s young daughter was known in David’s time as much through Racine’s tragedy, Iphig�nie, as the original Euripides (c. 450 BC). David had first treated the subject in 1819, this canvas is now in the Kimbell Art Museum, Fort Worth, Texas.