The Assassination and Funeral of Julius Caesar

Art Historical Context

In the mid-15th century, Workshop of Apollonio di Giovanni a Florentine studio renowned for decorative panels adorning cassoni (wedding chests), created *The Assassination and Funeral Julius Caesar* around 1455–. This tempera on panel, now transferred to canvas for preservation, exemplifies the era's fascination with classical antiquity. Measuring an elongated 39.5 × 126.7 cm, its panoramic format suited furnishing elite homes, blending storytelling with opulent decoration during Florence's Renaissance flowering. The scene vividly narrates two pivotal moments from Suetonius and Plutarch: Caesar's brutal stabbing in the Senate and his ornate funeral pyre, igniting public unrest. Such historical subjects underscored Renaissance humanism's revival of Roman virtues and vices, serving as moral exemplars for viewers. Apollonio's workshop employed the meticulous tempera technique—pigments bound in egg yolk on wood—yielding luminous colors and fine details that captured architectural grandeur and emotional drama in a continuous narrative style. Housed in the Art Institute of Chicago's Department of Painting and Sculpture of Europe, this panel highlights how 15th-century Italian artists transformed ancient lore into intimate, educational art, bridging antiquity and the modern world for discerning patrons.