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The Triumph of Marius

1729
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 600

Between 1725 and 1729 the Venetian painter Tiepolo depicted a series of ancient Roman military victories as told in historical accounts—one of which is quoted in the banner flying overhead here: "The people of Rome behold Jugurtha, laden with chains." Proud, even defiant, the African king Jugurtha dominates the composition, while the Roman general Marius rises from a chariot. This triumphal procession that paraded captors, prisoners, and loot—including sculpture, metalwork, and carpets—occurred in 104 BCE. Tiepolo daringly presented his subject pouring out of a towering vertical format and inserted a self-portrait along the left edge. The painting is one in a series that acted as a kind of political theater in the palazzo of a Venetian diplomatic and military family.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: The Triumph of Marius
  • Artist: Giovanni Battista Tiepolo (Italian, Venice 1696–1770 Madrid)
  • Date: 1729
  • Medium: Oil on canvas
  • Dimensions: Irregular painted surface, 220 x 128 5/8 in. (558.8 x 326.7 cm)
  • Classification: Paintings
  • Credit Line: Rogers Fund, 1965
  • Object Number: 65.183.1
  • Curatorial Department: European Paintings

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5092. The Triumph of Marius

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The Capture of Carthage, Giovanni Battista Tiepolo Italian, Oil on canvas
The Capture of Carthage
Giovanni Battista Tiepolo
1725–29
The Battle of Vercellae, Giovanni Battista Tiepolo Italian, Oil on canvas
The Battle of Vercellae
Giovanni Battista Tiepolo
1725–29
Adoration of the Magi, Giovanni Battista Tiepolo Italian, Etching
Adoration of the Magi
Giovanni Battista Tiepolo
ca. 1753 (?)
Half-dressed Nymph with two children, surrounded by four men, from the Scherzi, Giovanni Battista Tiepolo Italian, Etching
Half-dressed Nymph with two children, surrounded by four men, from the Scherzi
Giovanni Battista Tiepolo
ca. 1743–50
St. Joseph with the Child Jesus
Giovanni Battista Tiepolo

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