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Aristos Achaion

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Artwork Description:

Title: Aristos Achaion

“Beg me no beggary by soul or parents,

whining dog! Would god my passion drove me

to slaughter you and eat you raw, you’ve caused such agony to me!”

Achilles to Hector, The Iliad, Book 22, Page 526

This artwork focuses on Achilles just after he has killed Hector of Troy, fulfilling the ultimate prophecy and sealing his fate. His wrath leads him to lose sight of himself, focusing only on revenge and nothing else – and when that is finally fulfilled, he is left lost in his remaining grief. These events cause him to lose all human compassion, as even after Hector’s death Achilles goes on to tie his body to his chariot and drag it around the tomb of Patroclus, still not satisfied with his revenge – further contributing to his now inhuman and beastly position as he appears to become a mirror of the lion he is consistently compared to. These depraved actions stemming from his anger emphasise his transition into ‘the beast of the Greeks’, an ironic reflection of the title of this piece ‘Aristos Achaion’ – translating to “best of the Greeks”, an accolade given to Achilles by his companions. My use of the cannibalistic imagery links back to the quote from Homer, “eat you raw”, taking this in a more literal sense in order to symbolise his true loss of humanity in this moment.

Artist Bio:
Lydia Ridley is an 18 year old predominantly self-taught artist based in South Yorkshire, England. She works in both traditional and digital mediums, primarily exploring religious and mythological tales and aesthetics in her subject matter. Much of her work is inspired by Baroque paintings, particularly those of Caravaggio. Her use of symbolism and dark imagery largely reflect underlying themes of homoeroticism, queerness, mortality, and identity.

Ridley spent two years from the age of 16 studying A Level Fine Art at her local college, from which she graduated with an A* in 2023. Up until this point, she was entirely self-taught. Following this, she has gone on to showcase her artwork in various exhibitions and work on expanding her portfolio. Her current focus is creating oil paintings and refining her singular style.