Assassination of Tiberius 1816 - 1817

Théodore Géricault made this pen and ink drawing, Assassination of Tiberius, in France sometime in the early 19th century. It depicts a Roman emperor, Tiberius, being murdered, likely based on accounts found in ancient Roman histories. At this time, French artists looked to the ancient world for models of civic virtue, but also as a source of dramatic subject matter. Géricault was part of a generation reacting against the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Empire. One can see his history painting as a reflection on the dangers of autocratic rule, as well as a comment on the violence that often accompanies political change. Note the contrast between the calm, dignified figure of Tiberius, and the frenzied movements of the assassins. By consulting historical texts and visual sources from both antiquity and the 19th century, we can come to a better understanding of the complex social and political meanings embedded in this seemingly simple drawing.