Brutus and Portia
| Brutus and Portia | |
|---|---|
| Artist | Ercole de' Roberti |
| Year | c. 1486–1490 |
| Medium | Tempera, possibly oil, and gold on panel |
| Dimensions | 48.7 cm × 34.3 cm (19.2 in × 13.5 in) |
| Location | Kimbell Art Museum, Fort Worth |
Brutus and Portia is a painting in tempera on panel of c. 1486–1490 by Ercole de' Roberti[1] in the Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth, Texas, which acquired it in 1986. It shows Caesar's assassin Marcus Junius Brutus and his wife Porcia.[2]
This panel, Brutus, Lucretia and Collatinus and The Wife of Hasdrubal and Her Children were originally part of a series of works depicting famous women of antiquity, probably commissioned by Ercole I d'Este's wife Eleanor of Aragon and referring back to the motto of her father, Ferdinand I of Naples: "Preferisco la morte al disonore" ('I prefer death to dishonor').[3]
About the painting
The painting is based on a book.[4] There are a few different books about this topic, each differing from each other in a minor way.[4] The book that the painting is based on is unknown, but each book in the series keeps a similar theme.[4] The characters in this painting are demonstrating themselves in an unusual way.[5] Porta is opening her arms to the audience.[5] This portrayal of the two characters shows us that they are in some kind of bad situation.[5] The main focus of this painting is Portia.[5] In this painting there are details that connect this work to some of his other pieces of work by Ercole de' Roberti.[5] These minor details are what make a connection to the order at which his works were intended to be placed.[5] Portia, on the other hand, was shown to be more of a traditional girl in the painting.[6]
Who is Portia
Portia is the wife to a man named Brutus.[7] She gave birth to two children.[6] Several studies suggest that her character was changed based on what the common belief was of women in this time period.[6] Despite this, her character had aspects that were not common for women to have during this time period.[6]
Portia is also known for trying to get information that her husband, Brutus, possessed.[6] She tried to use her ability of charm to receive the information previously stated.[6] There is much debate weather Portia had a good ability to charm or not.[6] The article says that some people say she had this ability and that others say she did not.[6] The attempt, to receive information, added depth to her character which, according to the article, people would have come to expect of her.[6]
She ended up being a secrete holder for her husband, Brutus.[7] Brutus decided to trust her with this secrete due to the fact that she was willing to injure herself for him.[6] The intention of Portia's self-injury has been debated before and there is no clear answer.[6] Despite this, she was known to have and show high moral standards in all the area of Rome.[6] Even so much so, that this devotion showed up in her relationship to her husband, Brutus.[7]
The death of Portia
Portia died when she committed suicide.[7] She did so due to the emotions she had concerning Brutus's death.[7]
References
- ^ "Works Of Art". UK Parliament. Retrieved 15 March 2026.
- ^ "Portia and Brutus | Kimbell Art Museum". kimbellart.org.
- ^ Fern Rusk Shapley, Catalogue of the Italian Paintings, 2 vols., Washington, D.C., 1979: 1:410
- ^ a b c Sullivan, Ruth Wilkins (1994). "Three Ferrarese Panels on the Theme of 'Death Rather than Dishonour' and the Neapolitan Connection". Zeitschrift für Kunstgeschichte. 57 (4): 610–625. doi:10.2307/1482717. ISSN 0044-2992.
- ^ a b c d e f Jaffé, David; Syson, Luke; Allen, Denise; Helvey, Jennifer (1999). "Ercole de' Roberti The Renaissance in Ferrara". The Burlington Magazine. 141 (1153): i–xl. ISSN 0007-6287.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "Sierra Web Catalog". libcat.sanjac.edu. Retrieved 2025-05-06.
- ^ a b c d e Cox, Virginia (2009). "Gender and Eloquence in Ercole de' Roberti's Portia and Brutus". Renaissance Quarterly. 62 (1): 61–101. doi:10.1086/598371. ISSN 0034-4338.