The Triumph of Marius

Giovanni Battista Tiepolo Italian

Not on view

This painting is from a series of ten magnificent canvases painted to decorate the main room of Ca’ Dolfin, a palace in Venice. The subject of this triumphal procession is identified by the Latin inscription at the top of the painting, from the Roman historian Lucius Annaeus Florus: “The people of Rome behold Jugurtha laden with chains.” The African king Jugurtha is shown before his captor, the Roman general Gaius Marius. The procession, in which looted treasures were carried through the streets, was held on January 1, 104 B.C. Tiepolo’s brilliance was to take historical events and transform them into visually engaging theater. Proud of his achievement, Tiepolo included his self‑portrait along the left side of the canvas.

#5092. The Triumph of Marius

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  1. 5092. The Triumph of Marius
  2. 124. The Director's Tour, Second Floor: The Triumph of Marius, Part 1
  3. 124. The Triumph of Marius
The Triumph of Marius, Giovanni Battista Tiepolo (Italian, Venice 1696–1770 Madrid), Oil on canvas

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