Tekemessa and Eurysakes

Henry Fuseli, between 1800 and 1810

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Artist: Henry Fuseli (Swiss, 1741–1825)
Medium: Oil on canvas
Size: 40 7/8 x 32 5/8 inches (103.8 x 82.9 cm)
Museum: Yale Center for British Art
Rights: CC0 — no rights reserved

Ajax was a Greek warrior of outstanding courage in Homer's Iliad. When Achilles was killed by Paris, Ajax and Odysseus fight the Trojans together to retrieve his body for burial. Each claimed Achilles’s magical armor for himself, but Odysseus was ultimately awarded the prize. Furious, Ajax became crazed and slaughtered a herd of livestock thinking they were his enemies, through a trick of the goddess Athena. Upon coming to his senses, he was overcome with shame and fell upon his own sword.

Fuseli’s painting is based on the ancient Greek tragedy Ajax by Sophocles and focuses on the aftermath of the great warrior’s suicide. His concubine, Tekemessa, and young son, Eurysakes, are shown here mourning his death. Tekemessa had been taken captive by Ajax, who was enchanted by her beauty during the Trojan War. She pleaded with Ajax not to take his own life, fearing for their son’s life and safety. Ultimately Eurysakes survived and was taken to his father’s native island, Salamis, where he later became king.

Text: Yale Center for British Art.