The Triumphs of Caesar: 5. The Elephants

Mantegna's Triumphs of Caesar: The Elephants (Canvas 5) of around 1488 depicts the exotic war elephants captured from Carthage or Eastern kingdoms being led in triumph, the animals' massive forms creating an overwhelming impression of the ancient world's most formidable military technology. The elephants' decorative trappings and the crowd's reaction create a scene of maximum visual drama within the procession's systematic progression. Mantegna's reconstruction of the elephants' appearance and their place in Roman triumphal pageantry reflects his extensive study of numismatic and sculptural evidence.

The elephants' wrinkled skin and massive proportions are rendered with naturalistic conviction that suggests observation, though Mantegna's knowledge of the actual animals must have been limited. The decorative trappings on the beasts are painted with the archaeological specificity of the surrounding procession.