Sophronia's Defiance (from a set of Scenes from Gerusalemme Liberata)
designed ca. 1689–93, woven 1739
Medium
Wool, silk (16-18 warps per inch, 7 per cm.)
Dimensions
12 ft. 4 in. × 10 ft. 6 in. (375.9 × 320 cm)
Classification
Textiles-Tapestries
Culture
Italian, Rome
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Bequest of Elizabeth U. Coles, in memory of her son, William F. Coles, 1892
Accession Number
92.1.16
Tags
Art Historical Context
Behold the grandeur of *Sophronia's Defiance*, a tapestry from a series inspired by Torquato Tasso's poem *Gerusalemmeata* (Jerusalem Delivered), published in 1581. This scene captures the heroic Christian maiden Sophronia boldly confessing to a crime she did not commit—stealing a sacred lamp—to her beloved Olindo from execution by the Muslim king Aladino. Amidst opulent palaces, grotesque motifs, and regal figures, the composition pulses with tension, defiance, and Baroque drama, reflecting the poem's themes of faith, love, and crusade-era valor. Designed around 1689–93 by artists associated...
About the Artist
San Michele|Domenico Paradisi|Pietro Ferloni (Italian| ) · 1717 | –1770 |
Italian, active 1717–70|