Triumphal Scene 1511 - 1587

Lelio Orsi created this drawing called ‘Triumphal Scene’ using pen and brown ink with brown wash, heightened with white gouache on brownish paper. Orsi lived during the Italian Renaissance, a time when artists looked back to classical antiquity for inspiration. Here, Orsi evokes a Roman triumphal procession, a grand public celebration held for a successful military commander. We see horses pulling a chariot, surrounded by soldiers in classical armor. But what does it mean to revive these images of conquest and power? Renaissance society was deeply hierarchical, with wealth and status concentrated in the hands of a few. The triumphal imagery can be interpreted as glorifying not only military might, but also the social order of the time. Yet, as we consider this drawing, it's important to reflect on who is absent from this scene of triumph. The perspectives of those who were conquered or marginalized are not represented, raising questions about the narratives we choose to celebrate and the histories we often overlook.