Feb 10
Mount Pelion (2026)
seen from United States
seen from Singapore
seen from Türkiye
seen from Singapore
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from Singapore
seen from Netherlands
seen from Palestinian Territories
seen from Italy
seen from Malaysia
seen from United States
seen from China
seen from Singapore
seen from Italy
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from France
seen from United States
seen from Malaysia
Mount Pelion (2026)
The Education of Achilles
Artist: Workshop of Peter Paul Rubens (Flemish, 1577-1640)
Date: 1630-1635
Medium: Oil on panel
Collection: Museo Nacional del Prado, Madrid, Spain
Description
Thetis entrusted the education of her son Achilles to the boy´s great-grandfather, the wise centaur Chiron, tutor of gods and heroes, who instructed him in the arts of medicine, music, riding and hunting. Rubens illustrated a riding lesson, for which the centaur, half-man and half-horse, was eminently well suited. A variety of objects allude to other aspects of Achilles´s education. The bearded male term portrayed with a snake coiled around.
The Education of Achilles
Artist: Gustave Moreau (French, 1826-1898)
Date: 1884
Medium: Oil on canvas
Collection: Private Collection
Description
The present work illustrates a youthful Achilles being mentored in the art of the lyre by the wise centaur Chiron on Mount Pelion in Thessaly.
In Greek mythology, Achilles was a Greek hero of the Trojan War and the main protagonist and finest warrior of Homer's Iliad . Son of the sea nymph Thetis and Peleus, king of the Myrmidons, the demi-god's only weakness was his heel, which would eventually cause his demise in battle.
On the Mount Pelion (2023)
The centaur Chiron and his 'students' Achilles and Patroclus return after a long day of training and learning to heal.
Thetis Takes Achilles from the Centaur Chiron
Artist: Pompeo Girolamo Batoni (Italian, 1708–1787)
Date: 1768-1770
Medium: Oil on canvas
Collection: Hermitage Museum, Saint Petersburg, Russia
About this painting
This is the only known painting on this subject. The Russian Empress Catherine II commissioned the painting from Batoni and herself selected the theme, probably finding it in Giovanni Boccaccio's De Genealogia Deorum (The Genealogy of the Gods). In the 18th century scenes from the story of Achilles, hero of the Trojan War, were much in fashion. Achilles's mother, the goddess Thetis, gave him over to be brought up by the centaur Chiron. Learning that her son must die in the war against the Trojans she decided to deceive fate and removed the sleeping Achilles from Chiron, fleeing in a shell to the protection of King Lycomedes on the Island of Scyros. Forming the basis of Batoni's strict composition are two arches, the niche in the cave of Chiron with its herm, and the opening in the rocks, beyond which spreads the sea. The nymphs carefully carry the sleeping Achilles to the shell, while nearby, Thetis says farewell to Chiron. The ideal proportions of the figures recall ancient statues. The pure resonant colours of the robes - blue, red, white and pink - are set off against the calm brownish-grey of the cliffs.
Education of Achilles by the Centaur Chiron
Artist: Jean-Baptiste Regnault (French, 1754–1829)
Date: 1782
Medium: Oil on canvas
Collection: Louvre Museum, Paris, France
Description
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.
Education of Hercules by the Centaur Chiron by Maurice De Vaines (drawing)
Centaur Chiron with pupils, Achilles and Patroclus (2022)