The Triumphs of Caesar V: The Elephants

Mantegna's Triumphs of Caesar V: The Elephants is one of the most frequently reproduced canvases from the Hampton Court series, depicting the great war elephants of the Roman procession with the archaeological precision and monumental drama that defined the entire nine-canvas cycle. The elephants' exotic grandeur and their elaborate trappings demonstrate Mantegna's systematic study of Roman sources — coins, reliefs, and literary descriptions — to reconstruct the most spectacular elements of a Roman triumph. The series was painted for Ludovico Gonzaga's Mantua court.

The elephants are painted from textual descriptions and possibly from sketches of actual elephants, their massive forms rendered with the sculptural solidity that characterizes the entire cycle. The grisaille-like palette evokes ancient stone relief sculpture, placing the painted procession in dialogue with classical models.