Artwork
Die Rache der Tomyris
Die Rache der Tomyris is an oil painting by the Northern Renaissance artist Unknown. It dates from 1550 and is held in the collection of the Gemäldegalerie Berlin.
About this work
Overview
The setting includes a patterned floor and architectural columns, while a bowl containing a severed head adds a dramatic focal point.
The work titled “Die Rache der Tomyris” presents an interior scene populated by several figures. Central to the composition is a woman in a blue, gold‑trimmed dress, her head covered in white. She is flanked by a man in a green robe and turban, who holds a sword, and another woman in a red dress with a white head covering.
The setting includes a patterned floor and architectural columns, while a bowl containing a severed head adds a dramatic focal point.
Subject & Meaning
The painting appears to dramatize a moment of vengeance, suggested by the title’s reference to Tomyris, a historical queen known for retribution. The presence of the severed head, held by the woman in red, reinforces themes of retribution and power dynamics among the figures, while the contrasting colors of the garments may signify opposing roles or statuses within the narrative.
Technique & Style
Executed in paint, the composition relies on strong color contrasts, blue, red, and green, to delineate the principal characters. The use of patterned flooring and columnar architecture provides depth, while the detailed rendering of textiles and accessories, such as the gold trim and turban, demonstrates a careful attention to materiality and surface texture.
History & Provenance
No specific information regarding the painting’s date, artist, or ownership history is provided. The title and visual elements suggest a 19th‑century European interest in exotic or historical subjects, but further documentation would be required to confirm its origin and subsequent collection history.
Context
The depiction of Tomyris, a figure from ancient Central Asian lore, aligns with a broader Romantic fascination with distant cultures and dramatic historical episodes. The interior setting, rather than an outdoor battlefield, reflects a stylized approach common in academic painting, where narrative is conveyed through staged, theatrical composition.
Artist & collection
- Tomyris with the head of Cyrus (after the engraving by Paulus Pontius)
Adoration of the Magi
Presentation of Jesus at the Temple
L’adoration des mages
Sermon of St. Ambrose Outside: Two standing holy bishops
Saint Catherine refuses idolatry
Vizitația (în registrul inventar: Elisabeta și Maria)
Anbetung der Könige
Birth of the Virgin Mary
Beheading of Saint Catherine
Panel with the Birth of St. John the Baptist from Retable
Adoration of the Magi