Michele da Verona, 'Coriolanus persuaded by his Family to spare Rome', probably about 1495-1510
About the work
Overview
After being exiled from Rome, the Roman general Coriolanus led the Volscian army to besiege the city. He was eventually persuaded to call off the attack by his mother, his wife and their children. In this painting, Coriolanus is shown kneeling before his family, his helmet on the ground beside him. One of his soldiers holds his horse, while the others await his commands. Behind them on the left is Rome, on the banks of the river Tiber.
This picture has all the hallmarks of the style of Michele da Verona: the wide, distant landscape; the mountains blocking out the sky; and the ball-shaped trees in neat rows. His slightly wooden figures are lit with a hard, sharp light; their faces have an almost marble-like smoothness.
Key facts
Details
- Full title
- Coriolanus persuaded by his Family to spare Rome
- Artist
- Michele da Verona
- Artist dates
- about 1470 - 1536/44
- Date made
- probably about 1495-1510
- Medium and support
- oil on canvas
- Dimensions
- 93.3 × 120 cm
- Acquisition credit
- Bought, 1886
- Inventory number
- NG1214
- Location
- Not on display
- Collection
- Main Collection
- Previous owners
Provenance
Additional information
Text extracted from the ‘Provenance’ section of the catalogue entry in Martin Davies, ‘National Gallery Catalogues: The Earlier Italian Schools’, London 1986; for further information, see the full catalogue entry.
Bibliography
-
1951Davies, Martin, National Gallery Catalogues: The Earlier Italian Schools, London 1951
-
1986Davies, Martin, National Gallery Catalogues: The Earlier Italian Schools, revised edn, London 1986
-
2001
C. Baker and T. Henry, The National Gallery: Complete Illustrated Catalogue, London 2001
About this record
If you know more about this painting or have spotted an error, please contact us. Please note that exhibition histories are listed from 2009 onwards. Bibliographies may not be complete; more comprehensive information is available in the National Gallery Library.