DSC05690
Manius Curius Dentatus
Refusing the Gifts of the
Samnites, ca. 1530-60
(Brabant-Brussels, Flanders)
Wool and silf weft and linen warp
"Used to decorate and insulate expansive interior spaces, tapestries have been prized possessions in Europe since the Middle Ages. The Latin inscription at the bottom of this tapestry identifies the central figure as the third-century B.C. Roman general Manius Curius Dentatus. Clad in Roman-inspired ceremonial armor, the general stares straight ahead, pleased with his army's defeat of the Samnites. "Satisfied by glory alone," Dentatus resolutely dismisses gifts being offered by Samnite ambassadors. His refusal of these gifts earned Dentatus a reputation for incorruptibility and justice--virtues that would have appealed to European princes during the Renaissance."
DSC05690
Manius Curius Dentatus
Refusing the Gifts of the
Samnites, ca. 1530-60
(Brabant-Brussels, Flanders)
Wool and silf weft and linen warp
"Used to decorate and insulate expansive interior spaces, tapestries have been prized possessions in Europe since the Middle Ages. The Latin inscription at the bottom of this tapestry identifies the central figure as the third-century B.C. Roman general Manius Curius Dentatus. Clad in Roman-inspired ceremonial armor, the general stares straight ahead, pleased with his army's defeat of the Samnites. "Satisfied by glory alone," Dentatus resolutely dismisses gifts being offered by Samnite ambassadors. His refusal of these gifts earned Dentatus a reputation for incorruptibility and justice--virtues that would have appealed to European princes during the Renaissance."