Triumph of Caesar: Soldiers carrying Trophies

Full of rich tonal contrasts and expressive vigor, this engraving reproduces a famous scene from The Triumphs of Caesar, a series of nine canvases painted by Mantegna between 1500 and 1507 for the Gonzaga family in Mantua (now in the Royal Collection, Hampton Court Palace). The Corselet Bearers, the sixth scene in Mantegna’s Triumphs, represents a procession of men and boys in classical dress bearing the spoils of victory—coins, plates, and trophies of royal armor. The highly descriptive manner of the figures and the reference to Roman frieze sculpture characterize the style of Mantegna, who was the major innovator in the history of the early Italian Renaissance print. Mantegna collaborated with one or more printmakers in addition to producing his own prints, and an engraving of this subject was in the possession of his son Ludovico at his death in 1510, thus placing the invention of this work in proximity to the great artist.