The abduction of Sabine-women

Literally subject from a book by Plutarch. Sabines was a tribe that lived near Rome (it was founded by warriors, there were no women here). Romans invited Sabines to the party and abducted their women. Sabines came to Rome unarmed, they couldn’t protect their women. Baroque – movement, full of light, waving hare, waving cloth.

Mucius Scaevola in the camp of Porsenna

The subject is from roman history – Gaius Mucius managed to escape from the besieged city into the camp of the Etruscan king Porsenna, with the intention of killing him.

By mistake he killed another man. He was arrested and taken to Porsenna, who threatened to torture him, but the young man displayed carriage – he put his right hand into a fire, saying "He who sees before him magnificent glory puts little value on his body". Porsenna set him free and removed the siege. “Scaevola” means left-handed.

Triumph of emperor

More likely that the artist never seen the elephant before, it looks really strange.

In 275 BC Manius Dentatus defeated the forces of enemy (Pyrrhus, King of Epirus). Tiepolo showed the triumphant march of the victorious Roman army, an endless colourful procession which streams towards the viewer from out of the depths of the canvas. Seated on a sedan resting on elephants taken from Pyrrhus is the commander himself. The artist was not so much interested in individuals as the overall impression of the colourful swirling crowd.

Coriolanus at the Walls of Rome

Here the artist presents a scene from the story of Gnaeus Marcius Coriolanus. Accused of seeking dictatorship, he was expelled from Rome and sought refuge with his former enemies, and then even lead their forces against Rome. The Roman Senate sent out an embassy to meet him, headed by his mother and his wife with their children. Meeting her son, his mother said that she would die rather than let him enter the city. Coriolanus stopped the attack.

Tiepolo showed his hero from behind, his face half-hidden by the helmet, and the viewer's attention is thus drawn to the severe face of his mother as she prepares to pronounce her historic words.

Quintus Fabius Maximus Before the Senate of Carthage

In this work, the artist chose the scene in which Rome declared war on Carthage. Rome sent an embassy to the Senate at Carthage under the leadership of Quintus Fabius Maximus Verrucosus, known as Cunctator (the Delayer). The embassy was protesting against the seizure by Carthage of a town, that was allied to Rome. Since the senators refused to answer the protest, Quintus Fabius asked them what they would choose, war or peace? The senators chose war.

An excerpt from the Epitome of Roman history by Florus is to be seen at the top of the painting. It reads "When the Carthaginians refused to answer, the leader of the embassy Fabius said: 'What is the delay? Here I bring you war and peace. Which do you choose?' In answer to their cry of 'War!' he replied: 'Thus you shall have war', shook out before the whole gathering a fold of his toga, and let it go, not without a shudder, as if indeed he carried war in that fold."

Tiepolo sets the main hero with his back to the viewer, allowing us only to guess at the expression on his face. This device was used repeatedly in the series of paintings for the Ca' Dolfin and creates an impression of heightened emotional tension.