Artwork

The Triumph of Julius Caesar: Soldiers Marching with Trophies of War

The Triumph of Julius Caesar: Soldiers Marching with Trophies of War is a print by the Renaissance artist Andrea Andreani. It dates from 1596 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.

Accession no.: 1930.583.4
Credit line: Dudley P. Allen Fund

About this work

Overview

This print is part of a series of chiaroscuro woodcuts reproducing Andrea Mantegna's Triumph of Julius Caesar, a painted frieze created a century earlier.

Subject & Meaning

The scene depicts soldiers marching with war trophies, drawing from ancient Roman triumphal processions, where victorious generals like Julius Caesar were honored.

Technique & Style

The print employs chiaroscuro, a technique using contrast between light and dark to create depth, characteristic of the woodcut series.

History & Provenance

Commissioned by Duke Vincenzo Gonzaga, the series includes a frontispiece with a portrait bust of Mantegna and a sheet of classical columns for decorative arrangement.

Context

The prints were designed to be displayed together, often as a continuous frieze, with owners sometimes adding decorative elements between scenes.

Own this work as a print

Artist & collection

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.