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Romulus Bringing the Head of Amulius to Numitor, from The Story of Romulus and Remus series
Not on view
A young soldier [Romulus] rushes toward the center where a king sits beneath a canopy. Romulus holds before him a severed head from which the king recoils in horror. Numerous onlookers enlarge the main group and are integrated into the landscape in small clusters. The scene describes one episode in a dynastic struggle for power in early Rome. The action is summed up by the inscription: ROMULO ABCISSUM NUMITORI IMMANIS AMULI ENSE CAPUT PUGILI REGNAQUE REDDIT AVO (Romulus gives back to Numitor the head of great Amulius, severed with a sword in battle, and restores power to his grandfather). Amulius, brother of Numitor, had usurped the royal power. His death restored command to the rightful ruler. The tapestry was woven in the early seventeenth century, for its bears the marks of Jan Raes I and Jacob Geubels II, known to have been active at this time. From Anna Gray Bennett, "Five Centuries of Tapestry: The Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco" (San Francisco: Chronicle Books; The Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, 1976; repr. 1992): p. 166.
- Designers
- Jacob Geubels II (1599-circa 1630), Jan Raes (circa 1545)
- Title
- Romulus Bringing the Head of Amulius to Numitor, from The Story of Romulus and Remus series
- Date
- ca. 1535 (design) - 1625 (weaving)
- Object Type
- Fiber art
- Medium
- wool, silk; tapestry weave
- Dimensions
- 274.3 x 452.1 cm (108 x 178 in.)
- Credit Line
- California Midwinter International Exposition
- Accession Number
- 3755
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