The Oath of Hannibal

The Oath of Hannibal
ArtistBenjamin West
Year1770
TypeOil on canvas, history painting
Dimensions224.9 cm × 307.7 cm (88.5 in × 121.1 in)
LocationRoyal Collection, London

The Oath of Hannibal is a 1770 history painting by the Anglo-American artist Benjamin West.[1] It depicts the moment when the nine-year-old Hannibal is taken to a temple by his father Hamilcar Barca to swear an oath of eternal enmity to the Roman Republic.[2]

West, later President of the Royal Academy, was known for history paintings featuring classical scenes as well as more modern works such as The Death of General Wolfe.

This and a companion piece The Departure of Regulus, also featuring a scene from the Punic Wars, were commissioned by George III to hang in Buckingham Palace. Painted at a cost of 400 guineas, it was exhibited at the Royal Academy's Summer Exhibition or 1771 [3] Along with his depictions of James Wolfe, it was one of the hits of the exhibition and led to further commissions from the king.[4]

References

  1. ^ Grossman p.18-19
  2. ^ Grossman p 143
  3. ^ https://www.rct.uk/collection/405417/the-oath-of-hannibal
  4. ^ Grossman p.143

Bibliography

  • Grossman, Lloyd. Benjamin West and the Struggle to be Modern. Merrell Publishers, 2015.
  • Staiti, Paul. Of Arms and Artists: The American Revolution through Painters' Eyes. Bloomsbury Publishing USA, 2016.
Stub icon

This article about an eighteenth-century painting is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.