In 1620, a rare and exquisite work of classical sculpture was discovered in Paris. This was a large Roman cameo, identified by the French antiquary, Nicolas-Claude Fabri de Peirsec, in the Treasury of the Sainte-Chapelle. The gem seems to represent Germanicus taking leave of his parents, the Emperor Tiberius and his mother Livia, with other members of the Julio-Claudian family, past and present.⁠
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The followering year, Peirsec suggested to the Flemish artist Peter Paul Rubens (born #onthisday in 1577), who was admired for his knowledge of the antique, that he might publish the discovery. This led to a project to compile an illustrated Gem Book, which came to nothing, but Rubens offered to make an enlarged copy, culminating in this celebratory painting which was delivered to Peiresc in 1626.⁠
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While remaining generally true to the appearance of the cameo, Rubens added a life-like warmth to the cold stone. He also intensified the expressions of the figures, endowing them with a kind of graceful naturalism typical of his age. His copy was not a documentary record, but a sympathetic interpretation of the stately classical beauty of the gem.⁠
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[The Apotheosis of Germanicus (Gemma Tiberiana),1626. Oil on canvas]⁠