Image scanned from a transparency and color-corrected by Pat Cagney.

The Sacred Fires and Sacrificial Animals from The Triumph of Julius Caesar

Artist Andrea Andreani (Italian, 1558 - 1629)

CultureItalian

Date1593-99

MediumWoodcut on laid paper

Dimensions15 1/2 x 15 in. (39.4 x 38.1 cm)
Overall, Frame (all nine in series framed together ): 28 3/8 × 158 1/2 in. (72.1 × 402.6 cm)

InscribedTwo collector's marks: The double B of Brentano-Birckenstock, on the verso, and "NG" in ligature (Gutekunst?), recto, lower right corner.

PortfolioThe Triumph of Julius Caesar

Credit LineMuseum purchase with funds provided by members of the Mowbray Arch Society: Mr. and Mrs. C. Chadwick Ballard; Dr. and Mrs. Ludwig Diehn; Mr. Leslie H. Friedman; Mr. and Mrs. Lee A. Gifford; Ms. Janet Hale-Hamlin; Ms. Betty Wrenn Hoggard; Mr. and Mrs. Harry Lester; Mr. and Mrs. Arnold B. McKinnon and Mr. and Mrs. Rolf Williams. Additional funds provided by Mr. Jack F. Chrysler, Jr.

Object number93.51.5

On View

On view

DescriptionThis is one of a set of nine chiaroscuro woodcuts in shades of ocher and olive green by Andrea Andreani after THE TRIUMPH OF CAESAR by Andrea Mantegna.

Label TextAndrea Andreani Italian, 1558 or 1559–1629 The Triumph of Julius Caesar, ca. 1593–1599 Woodcuts (prints) on laid paper Imagine you are standing amid a cheering crowd in ancient Rome as a victorious general returns from battle. This is the effect of Andrea Andreani’s nine woodcuts, in which a triumphal procession parades before your eyes. The returning general is Julius Caesar (100–44 B.C.E.), whose army has just defeated the Gauls. The procession is led by his trumpeters and standard bearers; continues with trophy and treasure bearers, prisoners of war, and musicians; and ends with Caesar riding in his chariot. While Andreani’s work reflects the Renaissance fascination with ancient Rome, the multi-print format allows him room for a wealth of historical detail and a sense of dynamic, forward movement. left to right: 1. Trumpeters and Standard Bearers The parade begins with trumpeters and soldiers bearing Roman emblems. Other soldiers carry large standards depicting the cities of Gaul besieged by the Romans. 2. The Spoils and Weapons of War Chariots carry the captured statues of the gods of Gaul, among them a statue of Jupiter and a bust of the goddess Cybele. Also shown are battering rams and other siege machinery and Latin placards proclaiming Caesar's victory. 3. The Spoils and Weapons of War Oxen pull a cart heaped with captured arms and armor. Behind it Roman priests carry a litter heaped with sacred objects and other treasure taken from the temples of the Gauls. 4. The Spoils of War and Trumpeters The treasure-bearing priests continue here. A second group of trumpeters follows. One of the hills of Rome can be seen in the distance. 5. The Sacred Fires and Sacrificial Animals Trumpeters announce the sacrificial animals: white oxen, led by youthful attendants, and rams. Magnificent elephants carry the sacred fires and the acolytes who tend them. 6. The Spoils of the Royal House of Gaul Soldiers carry the riches of the slain Gallic princes: gold, silver, crowns, helmets, breastplates, and weapons. Ladies view the procession from atop a viaduct at the upper right. 7. The Prisoners of War The captured Gauls—women, children and the senators of Gaul—are paraded through the streets. They are followed by a jester and dwarf who mock them and a soldier bearing Caesar's helmet topped by the Roman eagle. 8. The Musicians Singers and music-makers taunt the captured Gauls. Others carry fruit-laden branches to which birds are tied. These symbolize Gaul's bounty, which now belongs to Rome. At right, a group of standard bearers signals Caesar’s approach. 9. Julius Caesar Caesar rides atop his triumphal car while a youth dressed as the winged Victory bestows a laurel crown. An attendant upholds a placard inscribed with Caesar’s famous statement: VENI, VIDI, VICI—“I came, I saw, I conquered.” Museum purchase with funds provided by members of the Mowbray Arch Society: Mr. and Mrs. C. Chadwick Ballard, Dr. and Mrs. Ludwig Diehn, Mr. Leslie H. Friedman, Mr. and Mrs. Lee A. Gifford, Ms. Janet Hale-Hamlin, Ms. Betty Wrenn Hoggard, Mr. and Mrs. Harry Lester, Mr. and Mrs. Arnold B. McKinnon, and Mr. and Mrs. Rolf Williams. Additional funds provided by Jack F. Chrysler, Jr. 93.51.1–.9 ProvenanceCollection Johann Melchior von Birckenstock (1738-1809), Vienna. Antonia von Birckenstock (1780-1869), wife of Franz Brentano (1765-1844), Vienna and Frankfurt. Brentano-Birckenstock sale, F. A. C. Prestel, Frankfurt, April 4-6, 1870, no. 2727 (bought by Gutekunst). Exhibition History"Treasures for the Community: The Chrysler Collects, 1989-1996," October 25,1996 - February 16, 1997 "Behind the Seen: The Chrysler's Hidden Museum," Large Changing Gallery, Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk, Va., October 21, 2005 - February 19, 2006. "Serial Thrillers: The Lure of Old Master Print Series," Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk, VA, October 1, 2015 - January 10, 2016.Published ReferencesJeff Harrison, _Collecting with Vision: Treasures From the Chrysler Museum of Art_ (London: D. Giles Ltd., 2007), 89, fig. 105.