Lot 2092 Dα

As described in Book 6, lines 390–502 of the Iliad, this work depicts Hector bidding farewell to his wife Andromache and his young son Astyanax against a backdrop of the Temple of Priam on the left and the walls of the city of Troy with the Scaean Gate on the right.
Made to stand out against the mass of departing warriors and lamenting women through the masterful use of light, the three protagonists take centre stage. A boy, partially concealed behind Hector's billowing cloak, holds the shield and helmet that so frightened his son.
Hector cradles the young Astyanax in his arms and kisses him farewell as the boy in turn reaches out towards his father. If we look carefully, we discover an amusing invented detail which the artist added to the scene: A little dog stands on his back legs begging for attention just as the farewell scene reaches its dramatic climax.
Börsch-Supan dates the work to 1785/1790 and refers in his expertise to the stylistically comparable work “Der Guckkastenmann” (oil on canvas, 34.4 x 39.6 cm, Staatsgalerie Stuttgart), which Maulbertsch painted in 1785.