# The Sacrifice of Iphigenia

[View the canonical artwork record](<https://beta.wga.hu/artists/torelli-felice-rb8cd7ec2fc83ab/the-sacrifice-of-iphigenia-r30ae5a7d2baa0c>)

## Artwork

- Artist: [TORELLI, Felice](<https://beta.wga.hu/artists/torelli-felice-rb8cd7ec2fc83ab>)
- Date: 1701-1750
- Technique: Oil on canvas, 80 x 98 cm

## Commentary

In the Greek mythology Iphigenia was the daughter of Agamemnon, king of Mycenae. Her father lead the Greek forces against Troy. The expedition was at first prevented from sailing by unfavourable winds, so Agamemnon consulted a seer, Calchas. He was told that, because he had killed a stag sacred to Diana, he must propitiate the goddess by sacrificing his daughter to her. Iphigenia accepted her fate out of patriotic motives. According to some, at the last moment Diana substituted a stag for the human victim and carried Iphigenia away to be her priestess. The winds changed and the Greeks were able to sail. &lt;P&gt; &lt;TABLE ALIGN=LEFT CELLPADDING=5 BORDER=1 WIDTH=320 BGCOLOR=&#34;\#99CCCC&#34;&gt; &lt;TR VALIGN=MIDDLE&gt;&lt;TD&gt;&lt;IMG SRC=&#34;/support/gif/listen.gif&#34; BORDER=0 VALIGN=MIDDLE&gt; Suggested listening \(streaming mp3, 6 minutes\):&lt;BR&gt;&lt;A HREF=&#34;\#&#34; onClick=&#34;w=window.open \(&#39;/music1/17\_cent/torelli\_sonata.html&#39;, &#39;newWin&#39;, &#39;scrollbars=yes,status=no,dependent=yes,screenX=0,screenY=0,width=350,height=350&#39;\);w.opener=this;w.focus\(\);return true&#34;&gt;&lt;B&gt;Giuseppe Torelli: Sonata a cinque in D Major No. 7&lt;/B&gt;&lt;/A&gt; &lt;/TD&gt;&lt;/TR&gt;&lt;/TABLE&gt;

## Related artworks

- [Virgin and Child with Angels and Saints](<https://beta.wga.hu/artists/torelli-felice-rb8cd7ec2fc83ab/virgin-and-child-with-angels-and-saints-rdb6dc10e3531a7>)

## Attribution

[Web Gallery of Art](<https://beta.wga.hu/pages/about>)