Ask the Scholar

Document scope · 1 page
obj
Scholar
Ask about this object, its catalog metadata, its source description, or the page inventory. For page-specific OCR and visual context, open one of the page chats.

Source Description

Commissioned by Duke Vincenzo Gonzaga, this series of chiaroscuro woodcuts reproduces Andrea Mantegna’s <em>Triumph of Julius Caesar</em>, 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 many viewers. People who owned sets of these woodcuts often tacked them up to create a decorative frieze. Andreani issued the prints with a sheet of classical columns that could be cut out and placed between the scenes. Two fragments of these columns, colored orange, still flank the fourth scene.

Scholar Source Context

Document identity
localId
112109
label
The Triumph of Julius Caesar: Frontispiece
core
obj
dtoType
print
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
112109
contentType
print
title
The Triumph of Julius Caesar: Frontispiece
description
Commissioned by Duke Vincenzo Gonzaga, this series of chiaroscuro woodcuts reproduces Andrea Mantegna’s <em>Triumph of Julius Caesar</em>, 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 many viewers. People who owned sets of these woodcuts often tacked them up to create a decorative frieze. Andreani issued the prints with a sheet of classical columns that could be cut out and placed between the scenes. Two fragments of these columns, colored orange, still flank the fourth scene.
date
1593–99
rights
CC0
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
wikidata
Q80004671
creators
4656
8173
genreSpecific
Print
imageCount
1
source
import
dimensionsRaw
Sheet: 40.2 x 39.5 cm (15 13/16 x 15 9/16 in.); Matted: 58.3 x 57.1 cm (22 15/16 x 22 1/2 in.)
cul
Italy, 16th century
accession
1930.583.1
Source extras
tec
chiaroscuro woodcut
tombstone
The Triumph of Julius Caesar: Frontispiece, 1593–99. Andrea Andreani (Italian, about 1558–1610), after Andrea Mantegna (Italian, about 1431–1506). Chiaroscuro woodcut; sheet: 40.2 x 39.5 cm (15 13/16 x 15 9/16 in.); matted: 58.3 x 57.1 cm (22 15/16 x 22 1/2 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Dudley P. Allen Fund, 1930.583.1
collection
PR - Chiaroscuro
formerAccessionNumbers
1930.583
catalogueRaisonne
Bartsch XII.101.11
creditline
Dudley P. Allen Fund
updatedAt
2026-05-29 05:55:40.534000
sourceId
112109
dept
Prints
coll
PR - Chiaroscuro
med
chiaroscuro woodcut
creatorTags
male
thumbnail_url
image_url
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
photo
mediaId
33ea7c787ea45d44