Narrative Devices in Art
by Kristina E. Mitchell, Amanda Martin-Hamon, and Maura Coleman-Murray
Late 15th Century
Cassone Panel: The Assassination of Julius Caesar
tempera on wood
47 X 150.43 cm.
Gift of Samuel H. Kress Foundation, 1960.0048
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Cassone panel: The Assassination of Julius Caesar is a late-15th-century Italian tempera painting on wood panel that once decorated the front of a wooden chest. Although the panel was probably made by a number of artists working in his workshop, it is credited to the Master of the "Apollini Sacrum." The name comes from an inscription on a painting he was believed to have made (Callmann, 1991-92).
Continuous Narrative
The picture on the panel tells the story of the assassination of Julius Caesar, emperor of Rome from 61-44 BCE. It is shown in a continuous narrative with four sequential scenes in one setting. Like a comic strip, the story develops from left to right: Priests warn Caesar not to go to the Senate; Caesar refuses to look at a scroll from Artemidorus that identifies the conspirators and their plans; Brutus and Cascius stab Caesar in the Senate; and Caesar is placed in honor on his funeral pyre.
The artist used groups of people and architectural details to separate the parts of the story. The groups of figures, each representing a part of the story, are all kept in the foreground, unifying the composition. Caesar wears red clothing in each part of the story, making him easily recognizable. The artist placed the story in a familiar 15th-century Italian context. Trajan’s column set behind the funeral pyre refers to ancient Rome.
Discussion
The artist used architecture and groups of figures to separate the parts of the story, didn’t he? Divide the story up into the appropriate number of scenes.
- What has the artist repeated and why?
- Is the action of the story in the foreground, middleground, or background? Placing all of the action in the foreground connects all of the parts of the story, making it easier to understand, doesn’t it?
- How else could the artist have presented the story? (For instance, he could have changed the division of the scenes, the placement of the characters, the setting…)
Ask the students to think of an event in their own lives that they could depict as a continuous narrative. The stories will need to have a central character and distinct beginning, middle, and end. The paintings or drawings must tell the story with visual clues and action. Students could work in small groups to experience the give and take of workshop creation.
Evaluation
Focus on the readability of the event and the structure of the scenes and scene changes. Students should have considered color, repetition, space, and unity when designing their narratives.
