The Senators, from Triumph of Caesar

Andrea Mantegna made expertly rendered sketches that he intended for reproduction as engravings by his workshop. This engraving of The Senators is in fact derived from a drawing, not the artist’s series of completed canvases of the same theme. Mantegna captured the classical antiquarian essence of ancient Rome through his depiction of architectural practices of the era, such as the aedicula framing the window in the center of this image. Such architectural features provide the backdrop for the victorious procession of Julius Caesar.