BATONI, Pompeo
(b. 1708, Lucca, d. 1787, Roma)

Achilles and the Centaur Chiron

1746
OIl on canvas, 159 x 127 cm
Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence

In his youth Achilles was handed over to Chiron, a wise and learned centaur who taught him many arts. The Centaur is depicted playing the lyre to his pupil. A modest Neoclassical drape covers the young pupil's lap, while a more ambiguous quiver hangs from the herm at the right.