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Tarquinius Priscus Entering Rome
About the Artwork
Originally the front of a bridal chest, this panel was later removed and framed like a painting. At left, the Etruscan prophetess Tanaquil foresees her husband’s entry into Rome. En route, an eagle snatched his hat, then returned it as they approached the city, which Tanaquil interpreted as a good omen. Ancient triumphal processions, closely connected to ancient sarcophagi, were common subjects for bridal chests. Here Tanaquil is a model for a supportive, dutiful wife.
Exhibition history
Exhibition of the John L. Severance Collection. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (November 12, 1942-March 14, 1943). Exhibition of the Month: Art is Long. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (April 14-June 7, 1948). An Approach to Museum Objects. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (March 3-June 30, 1958). The Triumph of Marriage: Painted Cassoni of the Renaissance. Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Boston, MA (organizer) (October 16, 2008-January 18, 2009); John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, Sarasota, FL (February 14-April 19, 2009).
Quick Overview
- Artist
- Jacopo del Sellaio (Italian, c. 1441–1493)
- Date
- c. 1470
- Medium
- tempera on wood, mounted on canvas
- Dimensions
- Framed: 81.9 x 202.2 x 11.4 cm (32 1/4 x 79 5/8 x 4 1/2 in.); Unframed: 41 x 165.4 cm (16 1/8 x 65 1/8 in.)
- Type
- Painting
- Classification
- Painting
- Department
- Medieval Art
- Credit line
- Bequest of John L. Severance
- Accession no.
- 1942.646
Provenance
The Cleveland Museum of Art’s open-access data does not include an ownership history for this work. See the museum’s page for this work.
More by Jacopo del Sellaio in museum collections
The Virgin Adoring the Child with the Infant Saint John the Baptist
Jacopo del Sellaiolate 1480s · Painting
Data retrieved from the Cleveland Museum of Art on October 8, 2026. The museum may have updated its record since.
Open-access museum record · AT-00009310
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