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Automedon with the Horses of Achilles 1868

Henri Alexandre Georges Régnault

Item Number: 29755

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Henri Régnault paints Automedon, the charioteer of Achilles, wrestling to control two heavy white horses harnessed to a war chariot — the figure planted with both feet on the ground, arms straining at...

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Features “Automedon with the Horses of Achilles 1868” by Henri Alexandre Georges Régnault
Overview
Author
Color
Brown, Red, Black, Beige, Blue, Gray, Green
Tags
Mythology, Struggle, Strength, Dynamic, Dramatic, Power, Movement
Concept and Style
Painting Details
Alternate Titles
Automedon And Achilles' Horses
Art Movement
Academic Art
Historical Events
Ancient Greek Mythology
Visual and Stylistic Elements
Brushwork/Texture
Bold And Expressive
Focal Point
The Horses And Automedon
Light Source
Strong Sunlight
Objects
Man , Horses , Sky , Ground , Rocks , Clouds
Orientation
Vertical
Perspective
Dynamic Perspective
Original Masterpiece Features
Creation Process
Oil On Canvas
Inscriptions/Signatures
Signed By Régnault
Provenance
Musée D'Orsay
Influences and Related Works
Influences
Greek Mythology
Related Works
Salome With The Head Of John The Baptist
Exhibition and Market Information
Criticism & Reception
Praised For Its Dynamic Composition
Cultural Significance
Depicts Strength And Control In Greek Myth
Current Owner
Musée D'Orsay
Exhibition History
Musée D'Orsay, Paris
Public Domain Status
Public Domain
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Description “Automedon with the Horses of Achilles 1868” by Henri Alexandre Georges Régnault

Henri Régnault paints Automedon, the charioteer of Achilles, wrestling to control two heavy white horses harnessed to a war chariot — the figure planted with both feet on the ground, arms straining at the reins, the animals rearing back. The composition is built on the diagonal pull of the reins. The colour is held to warm cream of the horses, dusky red of Automedon's cloak and a low band of cool grey-blue sky.

The painting belongs to Régnault's brief but intense academic career — he was killed at twenty-seven during the siege of Paris in 1871. The picture was painted while he was at the French Academy in Rome.

As a fine art reproduction on canvas, the warm cream of the horses and the dusky red of the cloak depend on real paint to keep their contrast. The picture suits a study, a library, a long horizontal hallway, or a sitting room with serious dark wood furniture. A warm-wood or aged-gilt frame is the most coherent pairing. Pricing reflects the canvas size and the time the painter spends on the work.

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Q/A “Automedon with the Horses of Achilles 1868” by Henri Alexandre Georges Régnault
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Frequently Asked Questions
  • What does Henri Regnault depict in Automedon with the Horses of Achilles?
    Open Answer

    Regnault depicts Automedon — the charioteer of Achilles in Homer's Iliad — struggling to control the immortal divine horses of his master after the death of Patroclus, the horses themselves overcome with grief at the loss of the hero they had served. The composition is an image of overwhelming physical energy and emotional extremity: man and horses locked in a contest of will and grief on the Trojan plain.

  • What visual qualities make this painting so dramatically powerful?
    Open Answer

    Regnault renders the composition with a boldness and physical energy that goes beyond academic convention — the horses enormous and barely contained, their bodies filling the canvas with a sense of barely-controlled power that the slender figure of Automedon is almost unable to hold. The palette is warm and passionate — ochres, reds, and golds under a turbulent sky — giving the scene a quality of Romantic intensity that recalls Delacroix rather than the cooler precision of the academic tradition in which Regnault was trained. The paint surface is broad and confident, the handling rapid and sure.

  • What is the historical context of this painting and its tragic story?
    Open Answer

    Regnault painted Automedon in 1868, the year before the outbreak of the Franco-Prussian War of 1870, which would claim his life at the age of twenty-seven during the Siege of Paris. The painting was immediately recognized as one of the great achievements of the younger French academic generation and won the Grand Medal of Honor at the Salon of 1869. Regnault's early death made it also his most celebrated work — the image of a young man struggling to control overwhelming forces a haunting premonition of his own fate.

  • What atmosphere does a print of Automedon create in a home?
    Open Answer

    The painting's extraordinary physical energy, its passionate color, and its combination of classical subject and Romantic intensity create a bold and visually commanding presence in any interior. It suits a large wall in a living room, study, or library where its scale and energy can be fully experienced. For admirers of the French academic tradition, classical mythology, and equestrian painting at its most dramatic and passionate, it is a magnificent and historically significant choice.

Additional Information “Automedon with the Horses of Achilles 1868” by Henri Alexandre Georges Régnault

“Régnault brought classical subjects to life with unprecedented energy.” Albert Boime

“His death was one of art’s great losses.” Théophile Gautier

“In Automedon, we see the future of French painting cut tragically short.” Philippe Grunchec

“Régnault painted mythology as if it were happening before his eyes.” Jon Whiteley

“His horses seem to leap from the canvas with vital force.” Lorenz Eitner

#1. Homeric Subject. The painting depicts Automedon, the charioteer of Achilles, struggling to control the immortal horses.

#2. Academic Triumph. This painting won Régnault the prestigious Prix de Rome, launching his career.

#3. Tragic Artist. Régnault died young in the Franco-Prussian War, cutting short a brilliant career.

#4. Dynamic Composition. The dramatic diagonal composition and struggling horses create intense visual energy.

#5. Classical Training. The painting demonstrates the rigorous classical training of the French academic system.

Best placements include a gallery wall, a study, or a library — the mythological scene reads well there. It works equally well above a console, a low sideboard, or a reading chair. Surround it with aged oak and warm cream walls for a period-friendly balance. The narrative content rewards an interior where guests pause; an entry vista or a study suits it well. Warm ambient lighting brings out the textures and depth of the painted surface.

The painter starts with the strong sunlight before refining the modeling of the face and hands. The artist's hand stays loose where the original is loose, and tight where the original is tight. Mythological subjects need confident drawing of the figures before any decorative detail. An oil reproduction painted by hand on canvas — the work of a studio painter rather than a printer.

Figures are arranged in a measured tableau, with The Horses And Automedon at its center. Among the elements on the surface are man, horses, sky, ground, and rocks, each given its share of attention. Sunlight builds the contrast across the surface. A palette of brown, red, black, and beige carries the painting, with subtle shifts holding the surface alive. The brushwork is handled to support the composition rather than to call attention to itself. The painting holds its composition steady whether seen from across a room or examined closely.

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