Coriolanus's Mother and Wife Begging Him to Spare Rome

The painting was created in the Netherlands in 1662 by Gerbrand van den Eeckhout, commissioned by the Dutch merchant Heinrich von Brühl, who owned the work before it entered the collection of the Hermitage Museum, where it remains on display.

The painting measures 149 cm by 189 cm and is executed in oil on canvas as a history painting depicting Coriolanus, his mother, and his wife. It was completed in 1662 and has been part of the Hermitage Museum's collection since its acquisition.

The painting is held in the collection of the State Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg.

Its inventory record is recorded under accession number GE-4444.

The work has been exhibited at the Hermitage’s Dutch and Flemish galleries in multiple reinstallations since the mid-twentieth century, most recently as part of the permanent display dedicated to seventeenth-century Dutch masters.

Gerbrand van den Eeckhout’s 1662 oil painting presents a dramatic moment from Roman legend, showing the warrior Coriolanus confronted by his mother and child as they plead for the safety of Rome. The composition is dominated by the armored figure, his spear poised, while the surrounding figures convey urgency and sorrow against a backdrop of a burning city under a somber sky.

In 17th‑century Dutch art, history paintings served both educational and moral purposes, drawing on ancient sources to reflect contemporary concerns. Van den Eeckhout’s choice of the Coriolanus episode aligns with the period’s interest in exemplifying the tension between personal honor and civic responsibility, resonating with the political climate of his homeland.