# @gettymuseum on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/CY9m6Y3vW2D
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/34228665-gettymuseum-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/4c3c01e723.jpg
- **Posted:** 2022-01-20T18:52:37.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** Getty (@gettymuseum) — https://gondola.cc/gettymuseum

## Caption

“Rubens: Picturing Antiquity,” the special exhibition on view at the Getty Villa, closes this Monday, January 24!

As this exhibition—the first to explore Rubens’ fascination with antiquity—makes its exit, let’s explore how ancient Romans (and later, Rubens!) depicted the dramatic entrances of emperors and kings. 

After a successful military campaign, a Roman general or emperor might be honored upon their return with an extravagant welcome procession, known as a triumph. Imagine the streets of Rome flooded with spectators, music and flowers filling the air, spoils of war paraded around for all to see.

A mythologized version of the triumph of Emperor Constantine adorns this massive sardonyx cameo, a semiprecious layered stone with carved decoration. Known as the “Gemma Constantiniana,” it depicts the emperor and his family on a chariot pulled by centaurs, who trample over the defeated enemies of Rome. In his hand, Constantine holds a lightning bolt, the symbol of Jupiter, king of the gods. From above, a winged Victory swoops down to place a wreath upon the emperor’s head.

Rubens drew on the familiar imagery of the Roman triumph to portray the elites of his own era. Swipe to see Rubens’s preliminary oil sketch for what would eventually become a monumental painting of “The Triumph of Henry IV.” Dominating the composition, the king of France rides proudly into Paris atop a massive chariot. Look closely at the upper right corner of the painting—Henry IV is being crowned by a winged Victory, just like on the Gemma Constantiniana. But, unlike Constantine, Henry IV holds an olive branch, a symbol of peace rather than power. 

When viewed side by side, this ancient gemstone and Baroque painting beautifully illustrate the theme of this special exhibition: when creating his own innovative works of art, Peter Paul Rubens took endless inspiration from the art of antiquity. 
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#GettyMuseum  #GettyVilla #Mythology #AncientWorld #Antiquity #Rubens #Cameo #Gemstones #Paintings #OnView

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## Tags

mythology, gettymuseum, gettyvilla, ancientworld, rubens, onview, gemstones, cameo, antiquity, paintings

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