Death of Consul L. J. Brutus in a duel with Aruns
Historical Context
The death of Lucius Junius Brutus in single combat with Aruns, son of the deposed king Tarquinius Superbus, was a story of republican virtue from Livy's history of Rome. Tiepolo painted this dramatic scene in 1727, when Roman history subjects carried political resonance in the Venetian Republic, which prized its own tradition of self-sacrifice for the state. The story of a consul dying to defend republican liberty resonated deeply with Venetian patrician values.
Technical Analysis
Violent diagonal movement conveys the collision of mounted warriors, with dust and chaos surrounding the central combat. The dark, earthy palette of this early work contrasts with the luminous color Tiepolo would develop in subsequent years.
Look Closer
- ◆Notice the violent diagonal movement conveying the collision of mounted warriors, with dust and chaos surrounding the central combat between Brutus and Aruns.
- ◆Look at the dark, earthy palette of this early work, which contrasts dramatically with the luminous color Tiepolo would develop later.
- ◆Observe how the story of a consul dying to defend republican liberty carried special resonance in Venice, which prized its own tradition of self-sacrifice for the state.
