Triumphs of Julius Caesar: Canvas No. VII

The detailed drawing, Triumphs of Julius Caesar: Canvas No. VII, is executed after the celebrated Renaissance master After Andrea Mantegna Italian, 1431-1506. Created between 1700 and 1799 in Italy, this piece utilizes sophisticated 18th-century drawing techniques. The artist meticulously employed pen and brown ink, combined with brush and gray wash, subtly heightened with lead white. This white pigment has oxidized over time, lending the composition a distinctive visual depth, all presented on cream laid paper prepared with a preparatory yellow wash.

The drawing is a highly refined copy of the seventh of Mantegna’s famous nine canvases detailing the triumphant procession of Julius Caesar. The original series, executed between 1484 and 1492, stands as one of the most ambitious and influential classical narrative cycles of the Renaissance. This later rendition captures the solemn grandeur of the Roman victory parade, focusing specifically on the display of captured war trophies, standards, and triumphant military figures seen in the specific canvas.

The creation of such high-quality copies in the 18th century underscores the enduring importance of Mantegna’s work and the demand for reproductions that could disseminate the master’s innovative application of classical relief sculpture to narrative painting. Serving likely as a preparatory study for a grander work, perhaps even a large-scale engraving or etching, the drawing demonstrates the continued study of Mantegna’s principles centuries after his death. This important document illustrating the history of collecting and artistic transmission is preserved within the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago.