The Triumph of Marius
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
- 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
Audio
5092. The Triumph of Marius
0:00
0:00
We're sorry, the transcript for this audio track is not available at this time. Please email info@metmuseum.org to request a transcript for this track.
Listen to more about this artwork
More Artwork
Research Resources
The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.
To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.
Feedback
We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.