Traditional Culture

Mercy in ‘The Combat’

How the quiet power of mercy prevails.
Mercy in ‘The Combat’
“The Combat: Woman Pleading for the Vanquished,” 1825, by William Etty. Oil on canvas; 9 feet 11 5/8 inches by 13 feet. National Galleries of Scotland, Edinburgh, Scotland. Public Domain
Lorraine Ferrier
|Updated:
0:00
Oh, mercy! The soft strength of Mercy personified in “The Combat” by English painter William Etty aligns with Shakespeare’s description of the virtue in “The Merchant of Venice”:

The quality of mercy is not strained; It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven Upon the place beneath. It is twice blest; It blesseth him that gives and him that takes.

Etty’s painting shows sweet Mercy putting herself in mortal danger to save a vanquished warrior. As the victorious warrior readies his sword for the final blow, Mercy intercedes. She hurls herself into the combat with poise, not punches, clinging to the victor’s waist while looking fearlessly up to the heavens as she pleads for the vanquished warrior’s life.

In the foreground, Etty painted a broken sword. It brings to mind the Sword of Mercy, which symbolizes a monarch’s mercy. It’s one of the ceremonial swords used in British coronations since 1626.

Lorraine Ferrier
Lorraine Ferrier
Author
Lorraine Ferrier writes about fine arts and craftsmanship for The Epoch Times. She focuses on artists and artisans, primarily in North America and Europe, who imbue their works with beauty and traditional values. She's especially interested in giving a voice to the rare and lesser-known arts and crafts, in the hope that we can preserve our traditional art heritage. She lives and writes in a London suburb, in England.