The Story of Virginia (Italian, Storie di Virginia), is a painting by the Italian Renaissance painter Sandro Botticelli. It is a tempera on panel and measures 86 cm tall and 165 cm wide. It is currently held by the Accademia Carrara in Bergamo, Italy.
| The Story of Virginia | |
|---|---|
| Italian: Storie di Virginia | |
 | |
| Artist | Sandro Botticelli |
| Year | 1500–1504 |
| Medium | tempera on panel |
| Dimensions | 86 cm × 165 cm (34 in × 65 in) |
| Location | Accademia Carrara, Bergamo |
It is one of the last works that Botticelli made exemplifying virtue, like The Story of Lucretia.
The painting has as a fundamental theme of violated honor and matrimonial fidelity. The combination of several scenes in a single image was common in the art of the early Renaissance. These are read from left to right:
- Virginia, in the company of other women, is violated or assaulted by Marcus Claudius, who wants to force her to yield to Appius Claudius Crassus;
- He carries her to the tribunal presided by Appius Claudius who declares her a slave;
- The father and the husband of the woman plead for clemency
- The father, to preserve the family honor, kills her and flees on horseback.
This story is developed within a setting of classical architecture, in which the figures are agitated, painted with vibrant colors.
See also edit
References edit
- "Botticelli", Los grandes genios del arte, n.º 29, Eileen Romano (dir.), Unidad Editorial, S.A., 2005, ISBN 84-89780-97-8
 | This article about a sixteenth-century painting is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |