El sacrificio de Caliroe

The Sacrifice of Callirrhoe (c. 1765), in the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando in Madrid, depicts the dramatic climax of the ancient Greek legend in which the high priest Corésus, ordered to sacrifice the woman he loves to Dionysus, kills himself instead. Fragonard painted this as his morceau de réception for the French Academy in 1765, demonstrating his ability to handle grand historical subjects in the approved academic manner. The painting's ambitious composition and dramatic lighting won immediate acclaim, establishing Fragonard as one of France's most promising young painters.

The dramatic composition uses strong diagonals and theatrical lighting to heighten the emotional intensity of the sacrifice scene. The ambitious scale and academic composition demonstrate Fragonard's early training in the grand manner.