Dionisio Dolfin, Patriarch of Aquileia, commissioned a series of ten paintings on themes from Roman history (five of which are now in the Hermitage) for his Venetian palace, known as the Ca' Dolfin. In 275 BC Manius Curius Dentatus defeated the forces of Pyrrhus, King of Epirus (Plutarch, Lives, Pyrrhus, 25). Tiepolo showed the triumphant march of the victorious Roman army, an endless colourful procession which streams towards the viewer from out of the depths of the canvas. Seated on a sedan resting on elephants taken from Pyrrhus is the commander himself. The artist was not so much interested in individuals as the overall impression of the colourful swirling crowd.
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Title:
Triumph of Manius Curius Dentatus
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Technique:
oil
Dimensions:
550x322 cm
Acquisition date:
Originally in the Dolfin Palace, Venice; since the 1870s had been in the collection of Miller von Aichholz; subsequently in the A.A. Polovtsov collection; presented to the Museum of the Decorative and Applied Arts in 1890
Inventory Number:
ГЭ-7475
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