Book 3, Fable 1: Achille and Chiron 1719

This engraving by Nicolas Henry Tardieu, titled "Book 3, Fable 1: Achille and Chiron," depicts the centaur Chiron teaching the young Achilles. The scene is set on a rocky shore with the sea in the background. Chiron, a mythological creature with the upper body of a man and the lower body of a horse, holds a young Achilles, who is learning from his tutor. The scene is rendered in intricate detail and conveys a sense of both the beauty and the power of classical mythology. This artwork is a fine example of an engraving, a printmaking technique that uses an etching tool to create an image on a metal plate.