Andromache Mourning Hector

Andromache Mourning Hector is a painting done by a French artist by the name Jacques Louis David. Andromache Mourning Hector is a sorrowful painting about death. This painting was done on canvas using oil paint. The dimensions of the portrait are 275 cm by 203 cm.

Andromache Mourning Hector was painted way back in 1783. It is this portrait that took David to Academie Royale elections in 1784, after its presentation on August 1783. The location of this painting is in the museum Musee du Louvre, in Paris. In this particular work of art, Jacques Louis David has represented Hector and Andromache in their bedroom. Hector was a great warrior for his people and Andromache is her wife. They both had a son by the name Astyanax who is also represented in this painting. Jacques Louis David puts some emphasis on Andromache by focusing a ray of light to her. With this, it can be concluded that David wanted to concentrate much on the mourning Andromache.

In this painting, David has represented Andromache with a white long dress that is half-sleeved, and also she is covering her wig with a white piece of cloth. Andromache is facing towards the heavens with sorrow and loss very well depicted in her face. Andromache is sitting on a wooden seat with his son Astyanax between her legs and holding his right arm with her left arm. She has placed her right arm on the dead body of his husband, maybe wishing that he would come back to her.

Andromache's sorrow seems to have hit his son too, he might not be understanding that his father had died, but the sorrow on her mother makes him feel it and try to comfort her mother. Astyanax is portrayed with a red cloth tied around his neck which could be meant to cover him from cold, and a long curly hair. He is also holding her mother on the chest and looking at her face trying to comfort her. Though his look still shows sorrow.

Jacques has also portrayed Hector's dead body lying on a bed that is just next to where Andromache is sitting. Hector had died after being killed by Achilles during the war. Hector had sacrificed his life just for the people in his community before he met his death. Jacques-Louis has depicted Hector's dead body image half-naked and covered with a brown cotton sheet from his waist to the ankles.

He is also facing upwards and his masculine muscles can be seen despite being dead. Hector had his hair long and curly just like that of his son. Beside the bed are Hector's war helmet and sword. The background of the portrait is a bit dark though two pillars on the wall are visible and another pillar next to where Hector is lying is also visible.