The Triumph of Caesar: Roman Soldiers Carrying War Trophies

Andrea Mantegna was one of the few celebrated Italian painters of the Renaissance period to devote himself to engraving. His graphic art also inspired the young Albrecht Dürer. However, only a small number of the known prints are considered to be by the hand of this artist. The engraving that shows Roman soldiers carrying war trophies belongs with a group of seven copperplates attributed to the School of Mantegna, engraved after preparatory drawings for Mantegna’s cycle of nine canvases with the theme of the triumph of Caesar. This series of paintings was commissioned by the Gonzaga family of Mantua. The depicted historical event showing Julius Caesar entering Rome after his victory over the Gals in 46 A.D. can be regarded here as a celebration of the military prowess of the patrons who commissioned the paintings – the famous Gonzaga “condottieri”. To compose the scenes, Mantegna no doubt sought inspiration from a variety of sources; apart from using his own imagination and knowledge of ancient monuments, he also drew from descriptions of triumphal processions in ancient literature, as well as contemporary treatises on Roman warfare.