Senecas død 1752 - 1833

Meno Haas made this print, ‘Senecas død’, sometime between the late 18th and early 19th century. It depicts the death of Seneca the Younger, a Roman Stoic philosopher who was forced to commit suicide by Emperor Nero. Haas created this print in a Neoclassical style. At the time, Neoclassicism was seen as a morally superior style, one that promoted civic virtue by emulating the art of ancient Greece and Rome. Stoicism resonated with this renewed interest in classical thought, offering a philosophy rooted in self-control, reason, and moral fortitude. You see Seneca here, stoically accepting his fate. The print offers a meditation on power, philosophy, and the burden of moral responsibility. The artist invites us to reflect on the nature of authority, the cost of dissent, and the enduring power of ideas. The inscription on the print translates to “Therefore I cry like Prometheus, Jupiter, you tormentor”. It captures Seneca’s defiance and suggests a parallel between his suffering and the mythological figure who defied the gods.