Discovery of Achilles on Skyros, c.1649/50 Nicolas Poussin (1594-1665)

We create our paintings with museum quality and covering the highest academic standards. Once we get your order, it will be entirely hand-painted with oil on canvas. All the materials we use are the highest level, being totally artist graded painting materials and linen canvas.

We will add 1.6" (4 cm) additional blank canvas all over the painting for stretching.

High quality and detailing in every inch are time consuming. The reproduction of Nicolas Poussin also needs time to dry in order to be completely ready for shipping, as this is crucial to not be damaged during transportation.
Based on the size, level of detail and complexity we need 8-9 weeks to complete the process.

In case the delivery date needs to be extended in time, or we are overloaded with requests, there will be an email sent to you sharing the new timelines of production and delivery.

TOPofART wants to remind you to keep patient, in order to get you the highest quality, being our mission to fulfill your expectations.

We not stretch and frame our oil paintings due to several reasons:
Painting reproduction is a high quality expensive product, which we cannot risk to damage by sending it being stretched.
Also, there are postal restrictions, regarding the size of the shipment.
Additionally, due to the dimensions of the stretched canvas, the shipment price may exceed the price of the product itself.

You can stretch and frame your painting in your local frame-shop.

Once the painting Discovery of Achilles on Skyros is ready and dry, it will be shipped to your delivery address. The canvas will be rolled-up in a secure postal tube.

We offer free shipping as well as paid express transportation services.

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The paintings we create are only of museum quality. Our academy graduated artists will never allow a compromise in the quality and detail of the ordered painting. TOPofART do not work, and will never allow ourselves to work with low quality studios from the Far East. We are based in Europe, and quality is our highest priority.

Nicolas Poussin’s "Discovery of Achilles on Skyros," painted around 1649-50, captures a moment of high drama from Greek mythology with his characteristic precision and clarity. In this scene, Achilles is revealed from his disguise among the women of Skyros. Poussin’s handling of the subject matter is as measured as it is theatrical - every figure is positioned with purpose, every gesture choreographed. The arrangement feels almost sculptural, as if we’re looking at a tableau frozen in time.

The palette is vibrant, with rich blues, reds, and yellows dominating the scene. Achilles, dressed in flowing red, lies at the center of the composition, surrounded by the women who once disguised him. Their gestures are animated, as one holds up a helmet - the symbol of his true warrior identity. A soldier to the right, draped in blue and yellow, calmly watches over the scene, spear in hand. This careful balance of stillness and movement is typical of Poussin, who uses color and composition to guide our eyes precisely where he wants them to go.

There is a quiet grandeur in the architecture framing the scene. Tall columns rise in the background, and the landscape beyond suggests a world of order and reason. Yet, amidst this classical backdrop, the tension is palpable. The reveal of Achilles is not just a simple unveiling but a shift from one role to another - from a sheltered existence to the inevitable march toward war. Poussin captures this psychological moment with clarity, his brushwork precise and his colors deliberately controlled.

What’s remarkable is Poussin’s ability to balance narrative with form. Every fold of fabric, every expression is loaded with meaning, and yet nothing feels excessive. The painting is as much about discovery as it is about destiny - a pivotal moment rendered with the calm yet powerful precision that only Poussin could master.