Numa Pompilius Speaks with the Nymph Egeria

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Print on handmade Amalfi paper
Size: 29 x 42 cm (11.4 x 16.5 in)
Material: artwork printed on very fine handmade Amalfi paper with deckled edges
Frame: light brown beech wood, handmade

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The artwork

Numa Pompilius Receives the Laws of Rome from the Nymph Egeria
Palace of the Spanish Embassy, Hall of the Legislators, Rome

The artwork is entitled "Numa Pompilius Receives the Laws of Rome from the Nymph Egeria" and is an oil painting on canvas made by Felice Giani in 1815. The painting depicts a scene from the legend of Numa Pompilius, the second king of Rome, who according to tradition would go by night to a grove near the Porta Capena to meet the nymph Egeria, his lover and counsellor. From her, Numa drew inspiration for the laws and rites to be established in Rome, such as the reform of the calendar, the creation of various priestly orders and the ban on depicting the gods in human or animal form.

Felice Giani's painting shows the moment when Numa, seated on a rock, listens attentively to the words of Egeria, who hands him a parchment scroll. The nymph is wrapped in a white veil and has a gentle, affectionate air. Numa wears a red tunic and a laurel crown, symbols of his royal power. In the background are some trees and a spring which, according to the myth, arose from Egeria's tears after Numa's death.

Felice Giani was an Italian painter, born in San Sebastiano Curone in 1758 and died in Rome in 1823. He specialised in history painting, drawing on themes from classical antiquity and Roman history. Among his best-known works are "The Death of Virginia", "The Death of Lucretia" and "The Death of Cato of Utica". He was also an admired portraitist and decorator of palaces and churches.