Image: Museo delle Porcellane, Florence
The Uffizi has highlighted a 1746 work by Pompeo Batoni depicting the mythological discovery of Achilles by Ulysses. The artwork was presented in a post from the Uffizi Galleries account dated 29 August 2026, with no accompanying announcement of an exhibition, loan or new acquisition.
The scene derives from the ancient story in which Achilles is concealed at the court of Lycomedes, disguised in women’s clothing. According to the account shared by the Uffizi, Ulysses identifies him by offering a selection of gifts that includes a gleaming sword.
Achilles cannot resist the call of the weapons. His reaction reveals his identity, allowing Ulysses to persuade him to leave for Troy. The episode belongs to the broader cycle of stories surrounding Achilles before the Trojan War.
Batoni’s work is dated 1746 in the Uffizi’s post. The notice identifies the artist as Pompeo Batoni and the subject as ‘Achilles Discovered by Ulysses,’ but provides no further information about the painting’s dimensions, commission, provenance or display history.
The post also does not specify whether the work is currently part of a temporary presentation or identify a separate event connected with it. Its stated focus is the mythological subject and Batoni’s interpretation of the moment when Achilles is exposed through his response to the weapons. The source gives no additional exhibition dates or programming details.
