Death of Pyrrhus

The history painting Death of Pyrrhus was created by Bertholet Flémal in the year 1700. Executed on canvas, the work measures 130 cm in height and 153.5 cm in width. The piece is currently held within the collection of the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium, where it remains part of the museum's permanent holdings.

The painting depicts the historical figure Pyrrhus alongside various elements such as a shield, stairs, a stage curtain, a spear, a sword, and a helmet. As a work of history painting from the early 18th century, it represents Flémal's engagement with classical narrative subjects during that period.

The painting is held by the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium in Brussels, where it remains in the permanent collection.

Its accession number is not specified in the cited sources.

The work has no recorded exhibition history in the provided documentation.

Bertholet Flémal’s canvas, dated 1700, presents a dramatic tableau titled “Death of Pyrrhus.” Executed in the tradition of history painting, the work captures a tense moment of combat within a shadowy interior. The composition is anchored by a fallen warrior in red armor, opposed by a cloaked figure brandishing a sword, while discarded arms litter the floor.

The work reflects the Baroque fascination with heroic narratives and the moralizing potential of historical episodes. In the early 1700s, artists often used classical subjects to comment on contemporary concerns about power and its consequences, situating Flémal’s depiction within a broader European discourse on the costs of warfare.