De Horatii zweren te strijden voor Rome 1817

Bartolomeo Pinelli made this print depicting the Oath of the Horatii sometime in the early 19th century. It shows three brothers swearing an oath to defend Rome, a story loaded with symbolic power during times of political and social upheaval. Pinelli was an Italian artist who focused on popular and historical themes. This print engages with a longer tradition of artists depicting the Oath of the Horatii in the late 1700s and early 1800s. Consider Jacques-Louis David's famous painting of the same subject, from 1784. David's painting became an emblem of revolutionary ideals during the French Revolution. Pinelli here invokes similar imagery in Rome, during the Napoleonic era and the Italian Risorgimento. The figures in the image are dressed in classical garb, while the architecture is reminiscent of ancient Rome, reminding viewers of the virtues associated with the Roman Republic. Understanding the politics of imagery in Pinelli's Rome requires in-depth research, including analysis of similar works and an understanding of the social conditions that shaped artistic production. This helps us understand better the role of the artist and the public meaning of art.