Roman Charity (La Charité romaine) 1600 - 1688

This engraving, "Roman Charity," was created by Claude Mellan in Rome, likely in the 1620s. It depicts a scene drawn from ancient Roman history, of a daughter, Pero, secretly breastfeeding her imprisoned father, Cimon, who has been condemned to death by starvation. The image creates meaning through a complex interplay of classical reference and Christian virtue. Mellan was French, but trained in Rome; the city was then at the heart of the Catholic world, and the visual language of its artists was steeped in Counter-Reformation ideals. By depicting the intimate act of a daughter saving her father's life, the image speaks to the virtues of familial piety and self-sacrifice, highly valued by the Church at the time. Yet, the image also critiques rigid social structures, suggesting that compassion and human connection can transcend institutional injustice. To fully understand the significance of "Roman Charity," art historians consult a range of sources: classical texts, religious treatises, and biographies of artists. By situating the work within its historical context, we can begin to understand the complex social and institutional forces that shaped its creation and reception.