Terms and conditions of use
The birth and infancy of Achilles
(c. 1648-1650)
Medium
etching
Measurements
26.6 × 41.6 cm (image) 28.2 × 41.8 cm (plate) 30.1 × 43.8 cm (sheet)
Credit Line
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Felton Bequest, 1961
Gallery location
16th & 17th Century Gallery - Painting and Sculpture
Mezzanine linked to Level 1, NGV International
About this work
In the last years of his life, Testa made a series of etchings depicting the story of Achilles, the son of the Nereid Thetis and her mortal husband Peleus. An unusual subject at the time, the story had been illustrated in Antiquity and Testa likely knew, and was influenced by, sculptural reliefs extant in Rome. In this etching, Thetis immerses the infant Achilles in an urn of water from the River Styx to make him invulnerable and protect him from a prophesied early death. The waters covered Achilles completely except for his left heel where Thetis held him, and this vulnerable spot, his ‘Achilles heel’, confirmed the warrior’s ultimate fate.
Artwork Details
Place/s of Execution
Rome, Italy
Catalogue/s Raisonné
Bartsch 21 ii/iv; Bellini 36 ii/iv; Cropper 118
Edition
2nd of 4 states
Printing/Publishing
published by Arnold Van Westerhout, Rome
Inscription
printed in ink l.l.: Arnoldus Van Westerhout Exculdit Romæ Sup.perm.
printed in ink (in image) l.r.: P. Testa fecit.
Accession Number
850-5
Departments
International Prints / International Prints and Drawings
This digital record has been made available on NGV Collection Online through the generous support of the Joe White Bequest
Subjects (general)
Human Figures Religion and Mythology
Subjects (specific)
Achilles (Greek character) children (people by age group) infants nudes (representations) Story of Achilles (Greek narratives) Thetis (Greek character) women (female humans)
Movements
Baroque