Coriolanus persuaded by his Family to spare Rome

This picture, painted in fresco, was part of a series of eight paintings which decorated the walls of the palace belonging to the ruling Sienese nobleman, Pandolfo Petrucci. He commissioned the frescoes, three of which survive in our collection, to celebrate the marriage of his son to Pope Pius III’s niece.The figure in blue and gold armour is Coriolanus. Once a high-ranking Roman general, he was banished from the city in 491 BC, taking refuge with the neighbouring Volsci. This picture shows him back in Rome after leading the Volscian army to victory against the city; his soldiers have pitched their camp on the banks of the river Tiber in the distance. Hearing of his role in the battle, his mother Volumnia and his wife Vergilia – shown here holding their baby, who tucks his hand into her dress – led a deputation of women to beg for his mercy and to spare the city. Plutarch, one of several Roman authors to write about this event, describes how Volumnia made a speech that convinced Coriolanus to withdraw the Volscian troops. In honour of their bravery, the Romans built a new temple dedicated to Women’s Fortune.Coriolanus was faced with choosing between his family and his new allegiance to the Volsci, and Signorelli has made his emotion at the sight of his family clear. His arms are open, ready to embrace his elder child, the exuberant little boy who hurtles towards him while casting an anxious glance back towards his grandmother. This touching detail invites the viewer to identify with Coriolanus' dilemma.Signorelli has made great efforts to make the figures look like ancient Romans. The elaborate draperies and the gilded armour are imaginative impressions of classical-style dress; the laurel wreath Coriolanus wears around his head is a reference to the wreath of victory worn by conquering heroes. Even his children, with their playful gestures and poses, recall the carvings found on ancient Roman sarcophagi (stone coffins).The patron, Pandolfo Petrucci, may have identified with such a scene: he was banished from Siena briefly in the 1490s and went into self-imposed exile in 1503, only one year before he acquired the buildings that he would transform into his palace.