The Punishment of the Arrogant Niobe by Diana and Apollo
ca. 1772
Medium
Oil paint on canvas, mounted on board
Dimensions
14 1/16 x 11 1/16 in. (35.7 x 28.1 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Van Day Truex Fund, 1983
Accession Number
1983.426
Tags
About this artwork
This dramatic composition depicts the Greek myth of Niobe, whose excessive pride in her fourteen children provoked divine retribution from Diana and Apollo, who slaughtered her offspring with arrows. The painting presents the violent moment of punishment, with the archer deities shown attacking Niobe's children while the horrified mother witnesses the destruction of her family. The composition employs dynamic diagonals and expressive gestures characteristic of French academic painting, demonstra...
Art Historical Context
In the gripping scene of *The Punishment of the Arrogant Niobe by Diana and*, French painter Pierre Charles Jom captures a pivotal moment from Greek mythology. Niobe, swollen with pride over her fourteen children, dared to boast superiority over the goddess Leto, mother of the divine twins Apollo and Diana (Artemis). Enraged, the archer deities unleash deadly arrows on Niobe's offspring as she watches in horror—a stark lesson in hubris and divine justice. Created around 1772, this oil sketch was Jombert's triumphant entry for the prestigious Prix de Rome competition, which he won, earning a sc...