The drawing is dominated by a number of variations on the scene in which Achilles is holding the dying Penthesilea, the queen of the Amazons, in his arms. In soft, flowing lines, Thorvaldsen has sought to determine various motifs for positions, turned to the right or the left and with clear emphasis on Achilles’ physical strength. Less psychologically fascinating, but not less important in Thorvaldsen’s array of motifs, is the small sketch at the top right of Hebe reaching out her bowl to Hercules. Finally, the drawing shows a sketch representing Apollo drawing the veil from the Ephesian Diana.
