Ulysses Discovering Achilles c. 17th century

Curator: This is Gerard Audran's print, "Ulysses Discovering Achilles," now residing at the Harvard Art Museums. The scene has this delicately rendered theatricality. Editor: Yes, there’s an almost absurd irony in unveiling a warrior disguised as a woman. It’s a commentary on the very constructs of gender and identity in times of war, isn't it? Curator: Absolutely. Achilles, hidden amongst these figures, is about to be unmasked—stripped of his imposed femininity, coaxed back into his destiny. You feel the tension. Editor: It's compelling to view this through a contemporary lens. Who dictates these roles? Who benefits from maintaining such rigid expectations, and what are the stakes of resistance? Curator: It’s a clever reminder that the stories we think we know often have layers of suppressed complexity. Editor: Exactly. By pulling back the curtain on Achilles, Audran makes us question who holds the power to define and confine.