The Story of the Schoolmaster of Falerii

The Story of the Schoolmaster of Falerii by the Master of Marradi illustrates an episode from ancient Roman history recorded by Livy: the treacherous schoolmaster who brought the children of the besieged Etruscan city of Falerii to the Roman general Camillus as hostages, and was sent back by Camillus in a gesture of Roman moral superiority. This subject was popular in Renaissance Italy as an exemplum virtutis — a moral tale from antiquity celebrating Roman honor — painted for cassone panels and palace decorations. The National Gallery panel reflects the humanist enthusiasm for Livy's moral history among Florentine patrons.

The narrative scene unfolds across an open landscape with the schoolmaster, children, and Roman soldiers. The master uses the continuous narrative format common to cassone panels. Figures in pseudo-antique dress occupy a coherent spatial setting with careful attention to the architectural and landscape background.