The Rape of the Sabine Women
Romulus, after the founding of Rome, approached the inhabitants of the neighbouring countries to make alliances, but they, scornful of patriotic pride, surely refused. Thus Romulus responded by kidnapping their women, among whom were the Sabine women. The canvas shows the moment of maximum excitement, when precisely the Roman soldiers seize the women. What is striking is that Da Cortona has rendered it all with great plasticity and balance, even refraining from letting the emotions transpire from the women's faces, delegating them to the relationship between the lines.
