Tarquinius Superbus

Tarquinius Superbus (1867) depicts Lucius Tarquinius Superbus, the legendary seventh and last king of Rome, whose tyrannical reign and whose son's rape of Lucretia precipitated the Roman revolution that established the Republic in 509 BC. By choosing this subject Alma-Tadema engaged with the founding narrative of Roman liberty—the moment when monarchy became incompatible with Roman civic virtue. At this date he was still working through the implications of his shift to Roman subject matter, and tyrannical rulers offered dramatic possibilities that allowed him to explore emotional intensity within an archaeological framework. The subject connects to his treatment of Proclaiming Claudius Emperor in the same year—a broader interest in moments of Roman political crisis and transformation. The unknown current location suggests the work may be in private European or American hands.

Oil on canvas with the compositional demands of depicting either the king in his power or at the moment of his overthrow. Alma-Tadema would balance archaeological setting with the psychological characterization of a man whose pride brings his downfall, using Roman architectural and costume detail to situate the narrative.