The Death of Hector on the Ramparts of Troy (recto) / Tancred and Erminia (verso)
1726 to 1750
Medium
aquatint with etching printed in gray-brown on laid paper; aquatint printed in sepia on laid paper
Dimensions
sheet (trimmed to plate): 25.7 × 31.9 cm (10 1/8 × 12 9/16 in.)
Classification
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Pepita Milmore Memorial Fund
Accession Number
2018.91.43
Art Historical Context
This double-sided print by Pierre Lelu captures two dramatic episodes from epic literature. On the recto, *The Death of Hector on the Ramparts of Troy* depicts the climactic moment from Homer’s *Iliad*, while the verso presents *Tancred and Erminia*, drawn from Torquato Tasso’s 16th-century poem *Jerusalem Delivered*. Created between 1726 and 1750, the work reflects the period’s enduring fascination with classical and Renaissance literary themes, which remained popular subjects for French artists seeking to evoke heroism, tragedy, and chivalric romance. Lelu employed aquatint combined with et...