The Battle of Diomedes and Aeneas (from the Story of Achilles)
ca. 1720–30
Medium
Pen and brown ink, brush and gray ink, heightened with white chalk, on blue paper; framing line in pen and brown ink, by the artist
Dimensions
Sheet: 10 × 18 13/16 in. (25.4 × 47.8 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Purchase, Daniel Ergmann Gift, 2014
Accession Number
2014.115
Tags
Art Historical Context
Jan van Orley’s dynamic drawing captures a fierce clash from classical mythology, showing the Greek hero Diomedes battling the Trojan warrior Aeneas. Created around 1720–30 as part of a series on the Story of Achilles, the scene draws from ancient epic tales of the Trojan War. Van Orley, a Flemish artist known for his tapestry designs, used this composition to explore themes of heroism, conflict, and fate that resonated in 18th-century European courts. The work stands out for its refined technique: delicate pen lines combined with gray washes and white chalk highlights on blue paper create a ...