The Triumph of Julius Caesar: Elephants Carrying Torches

1596

From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art

Dominant colour

The Triumph of Julius Caesar: Elephants Carrying Torches is a 1596 by Andrea Andreani, a Renaissance work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.

Who painted this?: Andrea Andreani
When & what style?: 1596 · Renaissance
Where can I see it?: Cleveland Museum of Art

About this work

This big print shows elephants carrying flaming torches. Their wrinkled skin glows in the dark. The firelight flickers off the crowd below. Andrea Andreani copied an older painting by the same name. He used woodcuts, not paint. Each sheet looks like a stage set in deep shadows. The trick is called chiaroscuro. It makes light and dark fight for your eye. Next time you visit The Cleveland Museum of Art, look for these prints.

The story of this work

Overview

Commissioned by Duke Vincenzo Gonzaga, this series of chiaroscuro woodcuts reproduces Andrea Mantegna’s Triumph of Julius Caesar , painted a century earlier. The scenes imaginatively portray the triumphal procession of the renowned Roman general and consul Julius Caesar following his successful defeat of Gaul in 52 BC. Each section of the continuous frieze shows elements typical of these parades, sanctioned by the Roman Senate and described in ancient texts. The printed suite’s frontispiece features a portrait bust of Mantegna, and the text below boasts that the famous paintings attracted…

Read the full account in the museum source.

About the artist

Artist

Andrea Andreani

Andrea Andreani (1540–1623) was an Italian engraver on wood, who was among the first printmakers in Italy to use chiaroscuro, which required multiple colours.

See the richer artist page