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Manlius Hurled From The Rock
William Etty·1818
Historical Context
Manlius Hurled from the Rock, painted in 1818 and now in Birmingham Museums, depicts the legendary Roman who was thrown from the Tarpeian Rock for aspiring to tyranny despite having previously saved Rome from the Gauls. The dramatic classical subject allowed the young Etty to demonstrate his mastery of the male nude in violent action — the muscular figure plunging through space against a dramatic sky. The painting reflects the Neoclassical taste for moral exempla from Roman history that dominated British academic painting in the early nineteenth century. Etty's vigorous treatment, with its warm coloring and dynamic composition, already shows the influence of Rubens and the Venetians that would intensify after his Italian journey.
Technical Analysis
The dramatic composition with its falling figure demonstrates Etty's study of the human form in extreme motion. His rich, warm palette and sensuous handling of flesh tones already show the influence of Venetian masters that would define his mature style.
Look Closer
- ◆Notice the dramatic falling figure of Manlius hurled from the Tarpeian Rock — Etty demonstrates his mastery of the human form in extreme motion in this 1818 classical subject.
- ◆Look at the rich, warm palette and sensuous handling of flesh tones already showing the Venetian influence that would define his mature style.
- ◆Observe the violent Roman subject allowing the young Etty to display his anatomical skills through a body in dramatic freefall.
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