The Siege of Troy
attributed to Domenico Morone (Verona c. 1442 – Verona 1518)
Category
Art / Oil paintings
Date
circa 1495
Materials
Oil on panel
Measurements
406 x 1702 mm (16 x 67 in)
Place of origin
Italy
Order this imageCollection
Tatton Park, Cheshire
NT 1298306
Summary
Oil painting on panel, The Siege of Troy, attributed to Domenico Morone (Verona c. 1442 – Verona 1518), circa 1495. A panel from a cassone (dowry chest) or a spalliera of the Trojan Horse, left and numerous figures. The town of Troy is seen at the left, with the Trojan horse painted in gold; a cavalry fight takes place in front of open country in the centre and at the right are the tents of the besieging Greek army, with Achilles dragging the body of Hector behind his horse. Episodes from the Aeneid and the Iliad have been conflated: to the left, in an episode not often treated by artists, (Aeneid 2:237 ff.) the great wooden horse on wheels is shown being pushed into the city, hiding the Greek soldiers; to the right Achilles is shown dragging the body of Hector behind him (Iliad 22:395-515). Achilles was spurred into battle by the death of his friend, Patroclus, who had been killed by Hector. Wearing armour forged by Hephaestus, he slew Hector, and, in the text, is described tying the body by the heels to his chariot and dragging it off behind Greek lines. Here the body is shown pulled by a horse rather than chariot, and the body is not naked, but still wears its armour. In the centre of the picture scenes of combat, seemingly drawn from no particular episode, are shown.
Provenance
From the Manfrin Palace, Venice (as by Guarienti) {Pinacoteca Manfrin a Venezia, Catalogue, 1872, p.28, no.133, as Guarienti or Guerriero: “Il cavallo di Troja, spinto entro alle mura della città da gran quantità di guerrieri, con parecchi gruppi di cavalieri, che stanno combattendo. Il fondo del quadro è dorato come lo è il gran cavallo. Le figure portano i costume e le armi dell’epoca del pittore alquanto alterati dalla sua fantasia, che volle farli parere alquanto più antichi. Questa Tavola, come quella del Campagnola, deve aver servitor a decorazione, di qualche cassone, o altro mobile, e si trova in istato di conservazione perfettissima.Tavola 1.m. 1.75, a.m. 0.41.”}; [...]; bequeathed by Maurice Egerton, 4th Baron Egerton of Tatton (1874 - 1958) to the National Trust with the house, gardens and contents of Tatton Park
Marks and inscriptions
Verso: ornamented paper labels inscribed H. Manfarin; Verso: the number 34 (within an oval); Verso: in black paint No. 2; Verso: and in chalk Saloon/UNDER SALVATOR ROSA/CARD ROOM END
Makers and roles
attributed to Domenico Morone (Verona c. 1442 – Verona 1518), artist Italian (Sienese) School, artist