The Triumph of Camillus
Biagio d'Antonio and Workshop·c. 1470/1475
Historical Context
Biagio d'Antonio was a Florentine painter who specialized in cassone panels and other decorative paintings for wealthy Florentine households. This Triumph of Camillus from around 1470-75 depicts the legendary Roman hero who saved Rome from the Gauls, a subject that celebrated civic virtue and military valor — themes especially relevant in republican Florence. The workshop collaboration suggests high demand for such panels.
Technical Analysis
The tempera on panel renders the triumphal procession with detailed attention to classical costume, architecture, and the pageantry of the Roman triumph. The elongated horizontal format is typical of cassone painting, designed to wrap around the front of a marriage chest.
Provenance
Visconti collection, Milan.[1] (Count Alessandro Contini Bonacossi, Florence); sold 27 December 1934 to the Samuel H. Kress Foundation, New York;[2] gift 1939 to NGA. [1] According to Kress collection records, in NGA curatorial files. [2] The bill of sale was for five paintings, with NGA 1939.1.153 described as "Cassone Front by Biagio di Antonio" (copy in NGA curatorial files). See also The Kress Collection Digital Archive, https://kress.nga.gov/Detail/objects/2315.
