The Legend of the Infant Servius Tullius
Medium
Oil on canvas
Dimensions
10 1/2 x 40 1/4 in. (26.7 x 102.2 cm)
Classification
Paintings
Department
European Paintings
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Friedsam Collection, Bequest of Michael Friedsam, 1931
Accession Number
32.100.78
Tags
About this artwork
Bonifacio de' Pitati, known as Bonifacio Veronese, created this horizontal painting depicting the legendary episode when the infant Servius Tullius's head burst into flames, a portent that led to his adoption by the royal family and eventual kingship of Rome. The narrative, recorded by the ancient historian Livy, held particular appeal for Renaissance audiences interested in Roman history and supernatural signs of future greatness. Bonifacio, a Venetian painter active during the sixteenth centur...