Nero Walks on Rome’s Cinders Karl Theodor von Piloty

This important early work by Karl von Piloty, the foremost representative of historical painting at the Munich Academy, shows the emperor Nero making his way through the streets of Rome following the great fire in 64 CE. The dramatic composition combines two incidents that took place at different times: the raging fire, which continues to cause devastation in the background, and the execution of the Christian martyrs, who were later used as scapegoats for the catastrophe. Piloty visited Rome in 1858, where he produced many studies and sketches for this painting. The meticulously executed architectural details, the traces of mosaic flooring, and the fragments of the statue of the she-wolf that symbolised the ancient city are all allusions to past glory. Accused by certain ancient historians of deliberately setting fire to Rome, the emperor is shown glancing dispassionately, perhaps even arrogantly, at the remains of the city and the victims. The tyrant’s appearance reflects the image of Nero that emerged in the second half of the nineteenth century: that of a deranged and decadent despot.
The painting was commissioned by Count János Pálffy, although the subject was probably suggested by the artist himself. The collector intended the painting to hang in his palace in Bratislava, although he apparently changed his mind, donating the work to the National Museum in 1872.

Dominika Sodics