Departure of Attilio Regolo for Carthage (Preparatory sketch) 1824

Vincenzo Camuccini made this preparatory sketch called ‘Departure of Attilio Regolo for Carthage’. The image encapsulates the ideals of heroism, sacrifice, and duty which were central to Neoclassical art. Camuccini was working in Rome at the turn of the 19th century, during the Napoleonic era, when the Papal States were in turmoil. The visual codes that Camuccini uses were very deliberately associated with the Roman Republic, an association meant to convey the virtues of civic responsibility and the importance of placing the needs of the state above personal desires, in contrast to the excesses of the aristocracy. As a public role, the image attempts to act as a moral compass, guiding viewers towards a particular set of values, but the politics of imagery are always complex. What does it mean to idealize self-sacrifice in the face of imperial ambition? What are the social conditions that shape artistic production in a time of political upheaval? These are the kinds of questions that we, as historians, need to ask in order to fully understand the depth of the artwork.