Romulus, Brutus en Julius Caesar 1768 - 1771

Curator: This engraving by Jean Charles Delafosse, dating from 1768 to 1771, is titled "Romulus, Brutus en Julius Caesar," now residing here at the Rijksmuseum. What strikes you first about it? Editor: It feels almost like a stage design, everything meticulously arranged. The monochrome heightens the drama of the weaponry and emblems, rendering this quite... serious. Curator: Precisely. The composition is a deliberate stacking of symbolic layers. We see weaponry—axes, spears— alongside shields and vessels. Consider the frame, it’s all about Rome. Editor: Of course, the titular figures, Romulus, Brutus, and Julius Caesar. I see a visual argument here, not merely a decorative flourish. It evokes ideas about leadership and historical eras. Curator: Look closer at those shields and vessels, Iconographically speaking, they bear potent imagery—depictions of civic virtue, perhaps, or martial prowess? It's a veritable cabinet of emblems. Editor: The visual elements— the stark lines and tonal contrasts of the engraving —work beautifully in support of its subject. A statement about power through ordered design. Do you think this object aimed at elevating these characters or something else? Curator: Both, I suspect. The Neoclassical style leans into conveying authority but is perhaps also concerned with imparting the ideals those figures represented to an audience. This composition is meant to inspire certain reflections. Editor: It speaks to how cultures use symbols to build continuity, ensuring certain concepts and beliefs travel over centuries. These objects feel weighted by collective historical consciousness, as if Delafosse isn’t just designing an artwork but also engineering cultural memory. Curator: Ultimately, Delafosse manages to deliver quite a statement. The careful staging, a structural success— a perfect synthesis of medium and message, one might say. Editor: A successful weaving of history, symbolism, and material that provides a commentary on Rome. Thank you for sharing your insights.