Artwork

The Triumph of Julius Caesar: Soldiers Carrying Banners and Standards

The Triumph of Julius Caesar: Soldiers Carrying Banners and Standards 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.

About this work

Overview

This print is part of a series of chiaroscuro woodcuts depicting the Triumph of Julius Caesar, reproducing a painted frieze by Andrea Mantegna from a century earlier.

Subject & Meaning

The scene shows soldiers carrying banners and standards in a triumphal procession, a ceremonial event sanctioned by the Roman Senate to honor Julius Caesar's military victories.

Technique & Style

The print employs chiaroscuro, a technique using strong contrasts between light and dark to create a sense of volume and depth, echoing the style of Mantegna's original painting.

History & Provenance

Commissioned by Duke Vincenzo Gonzaga, the series was issued with a frontispiece featuring Mantegna's portrait and a sheet of classical columns to be used as decorative separators between scenes.

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.