Maiolica: Dish with a Scene from the Second Punic War essay
Maiolica pottery was very popular, especially during the 16th century, when this art has reached the high level of development. In a way, maiolica pottery may be viewed as one of the first manifestations of the popular art because maiolica pottery was closer to people since conventional objects, such s dishes, were transformed into works of art. The Dish with a Scene from the Second Punic War is one of such works which dates back to the mid-16th century and it was created by Guido Durantine as a decoration of the pottery. This work of art is particularly noteworthy as the work that refers to the Classical art of ancient Rome and Greece but also this maiolica pottery reveals the European vision of the Classical era through the eyes of the 16th century artist.
The Dish with a Scene from the Second Punic War, 1540-60, created by Guido Durantine is one of the maiolica pottery created in the 16th century. This dish is an example of the traditional maiolica pottery which depicts the scene that refers to the ancient time. In such a way, the artist pays a lot of attention to the classical art and philosophy which was the mainstream trend in the Renaissance era, when artists re-discovered the cultural and artistic heredity of the ancient world. At the same time, the Dish with a Scene from the Second Punic War was not a mere painting depicting a classical plot but, on the contrary, this is the original work of art of the 16th century, while the accuracy of the depiction of the ancient story in accordance to traditions of the classical ancient Greek or Roman art just reveals the turn of the artist to the Classical art as a source of inspiration and creativity.
The focus of the artist on the Classical story referring to the Second Punic war is not occasional. Ancient world as well as the classical art of Rome and Greece is the cradle of European civilization and Renaissance artists found the main source of inspiration in the ancient classical art. This is why references and episodes from Classical ancient Roman or Greek stories are frequent in maiolica pottery. In this regard, the Dish with a Scene from the Second Punic War is not an exception. The artist was apparently inspired by the ancient history and he depicts ancient heroes and gods on the dish to revive the spirit of antiquity in the Renaissance era.
The painting refers to one of the most important moments in the ancient history, the Second Punic War, which was the war between Rome and Carthage for the supremacy in the Western Mediterranean. Rome and Carthage were the major superpowers in that time and the theme of their Punic War was very strong in the ancient Roman art (Mussachio 182). At the same time, Guido Durantine could view the Second Punic War in broader terms than just the war between the Rome and Carthage. Instead, he could view the war as the clash of two civilizations, European and African one. During the Renaissance this theme was very important and the clash of European powers, such as Spain and Italy, in a way, as well as all Europeans during the Crusades, with African and Asian powers was one of main issues in the life of Europeans of that time.
In addition, African civilization was totally different from European one and the clash between them could evoke the author’s desire to reveal the origin of the conflict between them. In this regard, the depiction of the Second Punic war helps to understand the conflict between European countries and African ones as the historical conflict (Mussachio 188). However, the painting itself does not really depicts the war or battlefield. Instead, the painting depicts Roman headed by Gaius Flaminius in the center of the dish. They are in a turmoil because of the war on Carthage and they are probably preparing to win the war and defeat Hannibal. Gaius Flaminiys appeals to Romans and attempts to take everything under control. He wants to persuade Romans to carry on the war and defeat Hannibal but Romans apparently refuse and prefer to leave. Gaius claims and appeals to Romans but they do not really listen to him, instead, they are busy with their own affairs and problems, while some of them have already started to retreat to escape probably the upcoming rage of Gaius. The face of Gaius manifests despair and hatred. He apparently hates Hannbal and wants his defeat. However, after Romans’ refusal to carry on the war and their attempts of retreating, he grows furious and seems to be ready to attack his fellow Romans. Some of his supporters to his right raise their hands to show their support. They also seem to be outraged by the refusal of Romans to carry on the war but the majority of Romans disagree with them and either have already turned their backs to them to go away or just ignore the exclamations and appeals of Gaius’ supporters. The small Cupid in the low right part of the painting is looking downward as if looking for someone to shoot with his arrow, while all the other gods are busy with their own affairs and problems. The depiction of the Cupid seems to be ironic since he, being so small and helpless, turns out to be the only one, who is really ready to bear arms and use it. Alternatively, the role of Cupid may be different but still quite symbolic. For instance, Cupid could be depicted as the tribute of ancient Roman gods, on the one hand, and European traditions of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, where religious themes were traditionally very strong. However, the depict of Cupid as a symbol of divine presence is quite ironic, if not to say sarcastic, compared to large scale paintings created before, during the Middle Ages and early Renaissance, which manifested worshipping of God, detailed and honorable depiction of angels and saints. In contrast, the Dish with a Scene from the Second Punic War depicts a small Cupid as the only representative of Roman gods, who is present during the Roman council meeting on the future of Carthage and Hannibal. At this point, the view of the artist on ancient Roman and gods as well as god-man relationship is quite different from views of ancient Romans and artists and people of the Middle Ages. Ancient Romans believed that gods play an important part in their life and they worshiped and hoped for the gods’ assistance. Cupid played minor part in the hierarch of ancient Roman gods. This is why the creator of the Dish with a Scene from the Second Punic War had minimized the role of gods in the decision making process shifting the focus on humans as key decision makers. In fact, this idea was new and challenging even for Guido Durantine’ contemporaries because this idea was unacceptable during the Middle Ages and Renaissance had just started to bring the new vision of man as a proactive agent but not a mere subject to God’s will and decisions. Therefore, Durantine rejects the fatum of ancient Romans as well as the overwhelming power of God over humans of his contemporary. Instead, he shows that people can take important decisions, regardless of the position of gods or their involvement in affairs of humans.
In conclusion, taking into account all above mentioned, it is important to place emphasis on the fact that the Dish with a Scene from the Second Punic War by Guido Durantine created in 1540-60 depicts the council meeting of ancient Romans and the disagreement of Romans to attack Hannibal and Carthage that make Gaius Flaminius furious. This maiolica potter mirrors the increased interest of European artists of the Renaissance era to the classical art ancient Rome and Greece. The artist had challenged cultural norms of his time and intentionally decreased the role of gods in face of men, who become main decision makers and take a proactive position.
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