Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, The Capture of Carthage, 1725–29, 411 x 377, New York, The Metropolitan M
Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, The Capture of Carthage, 1725–29, 411 x 377, New York, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Rogers Fund, 1965 This one that probably shows a key event in the history of ancient Rome: the conquest of the city of Carthage, in present day Tunisia, by the Roman Scipio Africanus the Younger. Subjects of this type were painted because they could be associated to feats by the patrons or institutions commissioning the paintings. In this case the idea was probably to call to mind recent campaigns by Venice against Turkey, a long standing Mediterranean rival. Figures strike emphatic poses; they’re involved in an intense physical struggle. The ruins, behind the city ramparts contribute to the nostalgic air of the scene, as do the weathered banners and costumes. -- source link
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