Antiochus and Stratonice

Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres’s Antiochus and Stratonice tells a story of hidden love and quiet suffering. The young prince Antiochus lies weak in bed, seemingly ill, while the physician Erasistratus watches closely. At the side of the room stands Stratonice, Antiochus’s stepmother, modest and withdrawn. The tension of the scene comes from what is not said out loud. Antiochus is lovesick, wasting away because of a love he believes he cannot express. The doctor realizes the truth as Antiochus’s pulse reacts to Stratonice’s presence.

Ingres stages the scene with careful order and stillness. The classical setting, rich colors, and controlled poses give the moment a timeless feeling, as if it were carved from ancient history. Painted in the early nineteenth century, the work reflects Ingres’s devotion to clear lines and emotional restraint, using calm beauty to convey a deeply human drama about desire, duty, and sacrifice.