Licurgus verwond door Alcander tijdens oproer

About this artwork

Licurgus toont de verwonding aan zijn oog die de jonge Alcander hem toebracht met een stok, vlak voordat Licurgus naar een tempel vluchtte. De Spartanen reageren, ondanks hun woede over de nieuwe wet voor rijken, met afschuw. In ondermarge vijf regels Franse tekst met beschrijving van de voorstelling en vermelding bron van deze legende: Plutargus.

Art Historical Context

This etching by Gilles Demarteau captures a dramatic episode from ancient Spartan history, drawn from Plutarch’s account of the lawgiver Lycurgus. In the scene, the young noble Alcander strikes Lycurgus in the eye with a staff during a public riot sparked by his reforms favoring the poor over the wealthy elite. Despite their fury at the new laws, the surrounding Spartans recoil in horror at the violence, highlighting the tension between social change and tradition in archaic Sparta. Lycurgus is shown pointing to his wound moments before seeking sanctuary in a temple, underscoring themes of restraint and civic duty. Executed between 1760 and 1776, the print employs the etching technique to render fine details of expression and gesture across its 313 × 406 mm surface. A five-line French inscription in the lower margin identifies the source as Plutarch and summarizes the narrative, a common feature in 18th-century reproductive prints that helped disseminate classical stories to educated viewers. Demarteau’s work thus serves both as an engaging visual retelling of a moral lesson from antiquity and as a refined example of how printmakers translated historical texts into accessible images for museum and private collections.

About the Artist

Gilles Demarteau · 1729–1776

Gilles Demarteau the Elder, born on January 19, 1722, in Liège, began his career steeped in the craft of metalwork. The son of a gunsmith, he learned engraving and goldsmithing from his father before moving to Paris around 1748–1750 to join his brother, who worked as a goldsmith for the engraver De Lacollombe, renowned for firearm ornament designs. Demarteau trained in De Lacollombe's workshop as ...