Hector and Andromache 1871

Giovanni Maria Benzoni carved this marble sculpture of Hector, Andromache, and their child sometime in the mid-19th century. The sculpture depicts a scene of familial tenderness amidst the Trojan War. Hector, the warrior-prince, is shown here saying goodbye to his wife and son, aware of his impending death. The image creates meaning through its visual codes, referencing classical antiquity and the ideals of heroism and domesticity. Made in Italy during the height of the Neoclassical movement, the sculpture reflects a fascination with ancient Greece and Rome, seen through the lens of contemporary social values. The work idealizes patriarchal family structures, where the man is a warrior and the woman is a devoted mother. Art historians can draw on sources, like letters, museum records, and government archives, to understand these social and institutional contexts. The meaning of art always depends on the social and institutional forces at play in its making and reception.