Guillaume Guillon, called Lethière

This scene recalls a war between cities fought by representatives from two families. As recounted by the ancient Roman writer Livy, Horatio, the sole brother to survive, returns to find his sister Camilla mourning one of his enemies. He avenges the betrayal by killing her. Set here in a shallow, stage-like space, the aftermath of her death is conveyed through dramatic poses, gestures, and expressions.

The painting was made for a competition at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris by Guillaume Guillon, known professionally as Lethière, who was born in Guadeloupe to a mixed-race woman and a white French government official. Awarded a scholarship to the French Academy in Rome, Lethière later became a professor at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts.