Scipio Africanus Freeing Massiva

As described by the Roman historian Livy (1st century BCE), Massiva was the youthful nephew of Massinissa, a prince of ancient Numidia (located in parts of present-day Algeria and Tunisia) in North Africa, who fought against the Romans in 209 BCE. Massiva had been forbidden to go to battle but went anyway. He was captured and brought before the Roman general Scipio Africanus (known by this name for his conquests in North Africa). When Scipio discovered the youth’s identity, he chided Massiva and sent him back to his uncle laden with gifts. The uncle was so impressed by Scipio’s sense of honor that he changed sides.
Here, Tiepolo combines dramatic gestures, grand scale, and classical architecture to tell this story of generosity and statesmanship. Details such as the banner with the initials of the Roman state situate the story in Roman history. He follows the 18th-century artistic convention of portraying North Africans of great status in Roman history as similar to Europeans except in costume. Tiepolo also depends on those same artistic conventions to imply to his audiences that the Black youth at left, probably from sub-Saharan Africa, was Scipio’s servant.

Inscription

Provenance

Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object.

Don Marcello Massarenti Collection, Rome [date and mode of acquisition unknown] [1897 catalogue: no. 404]; Henry Walters, Baltimore, 1902, by purchase; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.