Marcus Licinius Crassus verlaat Rome 1800

Editor: So, here we have Ludwig Gottlieb Portman’s 1800 engraving, "Marcus Licinius Crassus Leaves Rome." The atmosphere feels…stilted, almost theatrical, don't you think? The figures seem caught mid-pose. What strikes you most when you look at it? Curator: That theatricality, you've nailed it! It's Neoclassicism, after all – history reimagined as high drama. I see ambition, that fatal flaw lurking beneath the Roman grandeur. He's off to conquer Parthia, right? The ritual pouring of the libation… is it a blessing, or a desperate attempt to appease the gods before a disastrous campaign? The almost comical helmet almost looks like an afterthought. Look at the plebs's reactions too -- notice anyone wishing him luck? Editor: So you think there is no popular support for him at all? I imagined it differently at first... But the lack of clear approval now seems more evident! And now that you mentioned Parthia -- didn't he suffer one of Rome's worst defeats there? Curator: Precisely! He underestimated their cavalry, famously so. And there’s an element of hubris too, don't you think? A puffed-up, "I can conquer anything" vibe coming off of him. You could say Portman has captured him right before his doom; I mean he’s essentially about to sign his own death warrant here. How delicious. Editor: It's fascinating how the image hints at the story's tragic ending, though you might not get it immediately. I hadn't picked up on that layer of premonition before! It makes you wonder what details we miss when just glancing at historical images. Curator: Exactly! Art's not just what's *in* the frame, but the conversations *around* it. Context is King! And speaking of crowns…or helmets in this case!