The Trojans pulling the wooden horse into the city 1545

Giulio Bonasone created this engraving called ‘The Trojans pulling the wooden horse into the city’ in the 16th century. This print, now housed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, depicts a pivotal scene from the Trojan War, a narrative that has shaped Western ideas about conflict, victory, and deception. Bonasone, working in the Italian Renaissance, was deeply influenced by classical antiquity. The story of the Trojan Horse, recounted in Homer’s ‘Odyssey,’ provided fertile ground for artists exploring themes of heroism, fate, and human fallibility. Here, we witness the culmination of a clever strategy, as the Trojans unwittingly bring about their own downfall by pulling the massive wooden horse into their city. The image, filled with dynamic energy, obscures the sinister implications of the event. What does it mean to celebrate a victory that is rooted in deceit? How does this narrative reflect the complex power dynamics of the time and the timeless human capacity for both ingenuity and self-destruction?