The Fall of Simon Magus

Pompeo Batoni

Cleveland Museum of Art

The painting depicts a chaotic scene in an ancient setting. A man in a white cloth falls backwards from the top center of the composition towards the bottom right. He has an anguished expression on his face and both arms raised. He wears a white cloth wrapped around his waist. The background shows a cloudy blue sky in the top center and right. A semi-circular building with columns is on the left. The foreground shows a group of men dressed in various colored robes. Their bodies are contorted in different positions. Some fall to the ground while others reach up towards something out of frame. A man in a red robe lies on the bottom center. A man on the bottom left sits with a dog. The arched top and columns suggest a classical influence. The dynamic movement and expressions convey a sense of turmoil. The man falling appears to be the central focus.