In representing the mythological subject of the Sacrifice of Iphigenia, Bertholet Flemalle, a Belgian painter of the Baroque period, working in the Episcopal Principality of Liège, highlights all the elements of the tragic story.
The brave Iphigenia is about to be sacrificed on an altar, decorated with a relief probably depicting the triumph of Poseideon, the god of the sea who, according to Artemis, goddess of hunting and forests, does not want to set sail the ships, if not with the sacrifice of the young woman. The fleet is commanded by Agamemnon, Iphigenia’s father, guilty of having declared himself a more talented hunter than Artemis.
Here the commander has turned so as not to witness the sacrifice. But the priest, who should have pierced the body of the young woman, kneels at the appearance of Artemis. The goddess, in fact, had taken pity on the intrepid girl, replacing her with a fawn. 1670-1675, oil on canvas, Louvre Museum, Paris.
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