The Removal of Sabines (table of Pierre de Cortone)

Analyzes

Cortone privileges an account animated by many characters. The history is shown as a spectacle which is held in a Nature conceived like a decoration, with its Architecture S and its foliages. The asymmetrical composition underlines the theatricalness of the three great sculptural groups of the foreground. One is thus in the presence of a work where the drama is accentuated by the expressions, and a setting in very theatrical and very animated scene.

The decoration

Cortone places the scene in front of an ancient architecture: with the obelisk and a temple (that one recognizes with the triangular Fronton) on the right which is that of Neptune. Neptune is in Roman mythology the god of the seas, the oceans, the sources, and the rivers as well as watery reign. It is the equivalent of Poséidon among Greeks. It is also the protective god of the horses and the racecourses. Cortone represents it even in its composition in top on the left recognizable with its attribute: the Trident. One can notice with his feet the presence of a vase which could be the symbol of what it represents (the Eau) since that the scene is not held close to a sea.

Cortone undoubtedly decides to represent this scene in this decoration to refer to the “plays of Neptune” organized by Romulus to attract the Sabins and to be able to remove their wives and girls. Nevertheless all this ancient architecture is scrambled by a mass of plants to same tons of colors. This one lets foresee a sky very Orage ux and animated which takes again the scene which is held in the foregrounds.

Characters

The foreground is occupied by three couples with the theatrical postures.

The couple which is with the extreme right-hand side of the table is inspired by a sculpture of the Bernin, the Removal of Proserpine by Pluton . In the representation that makes Bernin of it, Proserpine struggles while having gracious gestures, trying to push back its attacker of the left hand. It is not the case in the table of Cortone where Proserpine does not seek to push back its attacker but whose gesture rather expresses the fear and the desire for escaping, without that being possible. It is a gesture of despair. The Sabine of the couple to the extreme left takes more one air of fate while looking at the child on her line but does not have any gesture of repulsion. The Sabine of the medium does not have either any violent gesture but tries all the same to demolish herself of her attacker with her left hand while looking at one as of his.

Cortone emphasizes groups on a flatter background what recalls by its composition the reliefs of the 16th century.

The composition

Cortone exploits nevertheless imbalance. One finds an axis diagonal between the two women of the couples of right-hand side which is amplified by their Regard S. For balance, other contrary diagonals are present. A serpentine line is represented by the body of the Sabine of the couple of left. Keys of colors like the blue of the dress of the Sabine, breaks the rather gilded uniform tone (the light fair characteristic of Venice) which answers the set of diagonals of the glances.

The costumes are inspired by the time with the armours of the draped soldiers and women where all is very detailed, as carved with the shades.

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