REGNAULT, Jean-Baptiste
(b. 1754, Paris, d. 1829, Paris)

Education of Achilles by the Centaur Chiron

1782
Oil on canvas, 261 x 215 cm
Musée du Louvre, Paris

The story depicted in this painting is a well known story from Greek mythology. One of the characters in this painting is Chiron who is noted as being a brave and noble centaur. He is also noted as being the teacher of many great Greek men who had been sent as children to be the students of the centaur Chiron. One of the people sent to train under him was the boy Achilles. Among others, Chiron taught Achilles how to wrestle, sword fight, and the painting above shows how to shoot a bow well.