The Archery Match, from the Aeneid, Book V

Art Historical Context

In the Prints and Drawings department of the Institute of Chicago, *The Archery Match, from the Aene, Book V* (c. 1823) by Anne-Louis Girodet Roussy-Trioson a dramatic moment from Virgil's epic poem. This preparatory drawing depicts the tense archery contest during the funeral games for Anchises, by Aeneas on Sicily's shores—a scene blending heroic competition with classical antiquity's grandeur. Girodet, a French painter trained under Jacques-Louis David, bridged Neoclassicism's precise forms with emerging Romantic expressiveness, often drawing on literary sources like the *Aeneid* for his history paintings. Rendered in black crayon on blue-gray laid paper (19.7 × 31.6 cm), the work showcases Girodet's masterful draftsmanship. The tinted paper enhances tonal contrasts, allowing the crayon to build dramatic shadows and highlights that evoke motion and intensity—archers drawing bows amid spectators. This technique, common in 19th-century French ateliers, highlights the artist's preparatory process for larger compositions, revealing the thoughtful composition behind his polished oils. As a rare surviving study from Girodet's late career (he died in 1824), it offers insight into how Neoclassical artists revived ancient narratives amid post-Revolutionary France's cultural revival, inviting visitors to appreciate the raw energy of classical myth through intimate, tactile media.