Standing on the altar dedicated to the god Zeus is Neoptolemus, the son of the Greek hero Achilles, about to kill Priam, the king of Troy. In the foreground is the desecrated corpse of Priam’s eldest son Hector. Priam’s death marked the end of the Trojan War. The way in which the etching is coloured with opaque paint closely resembles Canova’s painting style: he also used vivid colours against a black background.