#Julius cesar costume series

Made entirely of wool, these hangings were both decorative and practical, keeping stone interiors warm and festive during the colder months of the year. In its original form, the ensemble was almost certainly comprised of three large tapestries: one for the Classical Heroes, one for the Jewish Heroes, and one for the Christian Heroes. Each man sits enthroned underneath an architectural canopy, and each is depicted with emblems that early audiences would have recognized as clear markers of identity and authority. Their state of preservation is remarkable, even though only five heroes are still extant. Dating to around 1400, The Cloisters’ Heroes are among the oldest surviving medieval tapestries in the world. Four of these six prints are in The Met’s collection (see 18.20.1–.3 and 30.53.10).

#Julius cesar costume series

Perhaps intended for his imperial patron Maximilian I, Burgkmair’s series provided moral direction for men and women alike. The celebrated German artist Hans Burgkmair established a set of three Classical, three Jewish, and three Christian women when he produced woodcuts of all eighteen Heroes and Heroines between 15. However, this list of Heroines was never settled and artists depicted various groups of women from the histories and legends of the ancient world. As counterparts to the Heroes, the Heroines promoted ideals of chastity, humility, and loyalty. French poems of the late fourteenth century also began to praise Nine Heroines.

Celebrated as perfect embodiments of chivalry, the Nine Heroes provided exemplars of worthy warriors and just leaders for men of the noble and upper classes. Finally, from medieval Europe, King Arthur, Charlemagne, and Godfrey of Bouillon formed the Christian Heroes. Joshua, David, and Judas Maccabeus, from the Hebrew Bible and related accounts, constituted the Jewish Heroes. Pulled from both history and legend, Hector of Troy, Alexander the Great, and Julius Caesar represented the Heroes of the Classical era. The motif of Nine Heroes drawn from Classical, Jewish, and Christian traditions was first mentioned in a French poem in 1312, and soon became a popular theme throughout art and literature in late medieval Europe.