The Rape of the Sabine Women

French 18th Century

National Gallery of Art

This is a painting depicting a scene with multiple people in dynamic poses. The characters are dressed elaborately in colorful, draped fabric and are shown in action, with elements of classical architecture in the background under a pale-blue sky. At the center of the painting, an armored man on a white horse grabs the torso of a woman who has her hands upraised. Another armored man grabs her waist from the other side. An older man with white hair kneels in front of the horse, raising one of his hands up towards the rider. The rest of the people in the image also appear to be in conflict, with many turning to look towards the central group. The painting is done in soft colors with lots of yellow and brown tones, and the paint has been applied with loose brush strokes.