(San Giosuè, near Siena circa 1556–1621 or 1622 Siena)
The Rape of the Sabines,
oil on canvas, 193 x 247.5 cm, framed

Provenance:
probably commissioned by a member of the Clementini Family of Siena (based on the coat-of-arms on the shield), probably circa 1590;
possibly Collection of the Piccolomini Clementini Family, until the late 19th Century;
with J.-F. Heim Gallery, Paris, circa 1979;
private collection, Athens;
private collection, South of France;
art market, France;
where acquired by the present owner

The present work is registered in the Fototeca Zeri under no. 52980, as Pietro Sorri.

The present painting shows in a dramatic manner the abduction of Sabine women by the early Romans, led by Romulus, to populate the newly founded city of Rome. The episode is told by the Latin historian Titus Livio, as well as the Greek historian Plutarch.

Pietro Sorri was a pupil of the Sienese painter Arcangelo Salimbeni. He was highly influenced by the works of Tintoretto and Veronese, due to his stay in Venice, especially regarding the treatment of light as interpreted by the two great masters. Together with Cigoli, Sorri became the most respected representative of Venetian culture in Tuscany. During his stay in Rome, from 1611 to 1612, Sorri executed works mainly to be sent to Siena, drawing inspiration from the rich vocabulary of the Vatican Stanze and the works of Michelangelo and Raphael.

The present painting appears to have been commissioned for an important Sienese patron. The coat-of-arms depicted on the shield on the ground has been identified as that of the Clementini family of Siena (a branch of the Piccolomini family): a blue and red coat-of-arms, with three stars and a gold band.